Simple Dreams
by firefox369
Summary: The gods made him a hero. The world forgot she existed. Fate decided to pull them together, but not in a way either had expected. ZeldaxIY crossover. Under revision and very much different from before.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own the game Zelda or the manga Inuaysha.

So, this is the new story that I decided to post. I've had the first few chapters written for about half a year now, and I hope you enjoy! Once again, "You Can't Expect me to be Perfect" is still up for adoption for whoever wants to take it from me.

This Simple Dream of Mine

firefox369

A small village stood below them as they watched the villagers' daily routines, columns of smoke rising from a few houses here and there. The sun was high in the sky as they observed from their spot safely atop their gruesome steeds on the nearby cliff. Two beings stood apart from the crowd, their steeds much larger than the others. One had an uncertain look upon his face while another had a sinister smirk across his.

"This is the place?" a smooth voice asked and the one beside him smirked more before nodding. The owner of the voice looked back at the village beneath them, skeptical. "Positive?"

"Are you questioning me and your Lord?" the other growled, narrowing his eyes in distaste. His steed reared in response to his anger.

"Iie... I just find it unbelievable that such a village would-"

"Then we begin at dusk. Remember to only take the girl and her family. If the family resists, kill them, but leave the girl alive. Kill no one else."

"Hai." Although he still held his doubts, he turned around to face the group of men. "Got that? We begin at dusk!"

A loud roar of excitement followed his shout as the small army behind him cried out with excitement.

-Meanwhile-

"Ne! Ne! Aniki(1)!" a girl cried, chasing after the blonde-haired boy in front of her. "Aniki!" she whined. The boy turned and grinned impishly at her, the bundle in his arms giving off a curious amount of laughter and squeals of delight. "Give him back you big meanie!"

The boy pouted. "But you get to see him all day! I almost never get to!"

"He's my family!" she argued, running over and pounding the boy with her fists. "Give him back!"

The boy rolled his eyes at the girl's pitiful attempts of an attack but obeyed anyway. "Hai, hai..." he grumbled, giving the infant back to the desperate girl in front of him."But you could let me have some fun with him sometimes, too, you know."

"I would if you didn't always _kidnap_ him!"

"How else am I supposed to get him?" he questioned, annoyed.

"You ask, poopyhead!"

"I am not a poopyhead! I'm going to be the next village chef!" he announced proudly.

"Chief" the girl corrected and he scowled at her.

"Same thing."

"You wouldn't be able to be a chef because you can't even hold a knife without cutting yourself in the first minute. You also wouldn't be a very good chief because _what type of chief goes around stealing babies from their cradle?"_

"Me, duh."

"You can't even ride your pony without dying!"

"I'll be able to ride Epona, just you watch! I'm going to be the best rider in the world!" The girl snorted at his proclamation. "Don't cry when you see me ten years from now and I say 'I told you so' in your face" he boasted.

"Don't cry when I beat you to death."

"I'd like to see you try, _girl._"

"_Elf_"

"_Human._"

"Poopyhead!"

"Am not!"

"Uh huh!"

"Nuh uh!"

"Uh huh!"

"Nuh uh!"

"Uh huh!" the girl lgiggled as she took a few steps to the right so she was next to a small creek before sitting down, feet dangling in the water. The boy sat beside her, finding himself not being able to draw his gaze away from her features. He decided to drop the argument for now. The girl noticed and her content, relaxed expression turned into one of confusion.

"Are you okay?" she asked and he nodded. "If you say so..." she murmured, shifting the child in her arms to a more comfortable position. They stared at the setting sun reflecting on the creek's surface for what seemed like an eternity to them before the girl finally spoke.

"Village Chief..." she mused quietly and the boy smiled happily at the thought.

"Yep! I'm going to be the best one yet! What are you going to do when you grow up?"

"I want to explore the world!" she chirped excitedly before pausing for a moment and giggling. "I'm going to find the very best horse I can to go with me, and I'll finally be able to meet my-"

"EEEEEEK!"

Both children shot to their feet and the girl's eyes widened in horror when a steady stream of smoke billowed up from one of the huts.

"Okaa-san(2)" she whispered, glancing at the baby in her hold before roughly shoving it into the boy's arms. She ran off, leaving a stunned boy with a screaming and crying infant in his arms in the middle of the village.

"Matte(3)..." he said softly when he finally realized what was going on. "Matte!" He began to chase after her, following the trail her wet feet made against the dry dirt road when another scream broke the air. He forced himself to run faster and froze after skidding around a corner. He saw some sort of monster on an overgrown boar holding the girl by the collar of her shirt as she squirmed and kicked. The boy gently set the baby down behind another hut before picking up a stick and charging.

"Let her go you big stupidhead!" he shouted. He was easily knocked away and hit the trunk of a tree. Hard.

"No!" the girl cried. The boy struggled to his hands and knees, whimpering in pain. The monsters turned around so that their backs faced him before galloping off, the screaming and sobbing girl in their arms. He began to grow scared because somehow, he knew that if they left than he would never see that girl again.

"...iie" he moaned weakly, wanting to cry. "Matte...!"

"Link...!" the girl sobbed, then screamed as she reached out for him, her voice echoing in the night air. "Link!"

The monsters crashed through the woods and they all disappeared into the darkness of the trees. And then, everything was silent except for the loud roaring of flames as the stolen girl's home slowly burned to the ground, along with all of her belongings.

Another sound was heard though; a loud, pitiful scream of a baby and Link crawled over to the noise, holding the bundle close to him as he cried.

"Sou... Souta...!" he sniffed, curling into a little ball. "Souta!"

An eighteen-year-old boy shot up in his bed, panting, before placing a palm against his forehead and groaning. The dream had once again haunted another of his nights, giving him a restless slumber that made it seem as if he had never gotten a wink of sleep at all.

The girl in the dream had begun to fade from his memory long ago, and all he knew now were a few of her words. Her voice, name, appearance, everything was long forgotten, lost on the blades of time. The only thing he had that made him certain that she even existed was the boy sleeping on the bunk above him, now thirteen. Yes, thiteen years had passed since then... thirteen long, painful years.

Link remembered waiting for the girl to randomly appear for the first one or two years so that Souta wouldn't be alone, but she never appeared. She never came back, and neither did her family. A villager had told him that they had 'gone to a better place,' and when he realized that that meant they were dead, he gave up.

But as Link waited for the girl, the girl waited for a hero, a savior, a knight in shining armor to rescue her from the hell she had been imprisoned in. She needed an escape, whether by her own hands or another's and she would get her freedom no matter what the cost. She was desperate. Just as desperate as the Princess Zelda was for some sort of miraculous break-in.

The girl's heart dropped at the thought.

At least the princess was still remembered. The girl was an unknown female from a hardly known village. She was certain now that no one would come to save her and her eyes filled with tears. Why wouldn't she, though?

She had waited thirteen years.

She screamed with anguish into the everlasting twilight, the only thing that took pity on her as it soothingly whispered her name in response with a gentle breeze that should not have existed in the dungeon she was trapped in. It enveloped her in a gentle hug, bringing in the fresh air from the outside world in the process. The name it whispered continued to echo off the walls, filling the chamber with a soft chorus.

_Kagome_ it repeated over and over again. _Kagome..._

To Be Continued...

This is the only time I'll have these words' definitions listed, mainly because I'm too lazy to type them over, and over, and over again, lol... I apologize if any of these definitions are off, I'm doing this by memory (also becase I'm too lazy to look them up... heh heh...)

(1) Aniki - older brother

(2) Okaa-san - mother

(3) Matte - wait/stop


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: ****I own neither Zelda nor** **Inuyasha. **

AN: This story is going to be very, very different from what it used to be. The premise is going to be the same, but things will be explained in more detail and the overall pace of things is going to be much, much slower for the sake of plot development and character growth. If you've already read the first chapters, I apologize. Please bear with me . ~firefox369

**Simple Dreams**

Chapter 1

firefox369

_There was a sharp knock on the door around midnight and the girl looked up from the cot she was currently laying on, nervous. A soft click informed her that the door had been unlocked and she hid behind the slowly opening door. Tonight was the night. Tonight was the night that she would gain her freedom once and for all._

A young man gracefully climbed onto his horse and began to herd all of the goats into the barn with ease, his crimson horse glowing eerily in the light of the dying sun. Although he had saved the princess and was a hero, he preferred the calm life of being a village cheif, helping the the rancher herd all of the sheep into the barn. He would never forget the excitement of battle, however, and often found himself missing it.

_As the door swung open and the demon came in, she lifted the tray from her last meal and slammed it against the back of the thing's head. He crumpled to the floor, dead or unconcious she didn't know and she didn't want to stick around to find out. She snuck out of the dungeon and looked around before silently moving across the floor to a nearby exit she knew was rarely used._

The sky was still fairly light by the time he had finished so he brought his horse to a nearby pond by his house to wash her up in. He smiled wistfully at the memories he had there, but his smile soon turned dark when he remembered that the pond where he stood was where it all had started. Where he had first been introduced to the world bathed in twilight and Midna.

_She was now safely out of the castle, but her heart beat refused to calm down. She still had the castle grounds to move through, and even though she had spent the past ten years planning her escape and perfecting it, she was still terrified. What would they do when they found out she was gone?  
_

He stared at the clear water and couldn't help but think that something was missing, something long forgotten. A strange feeling rose up inside of him, as if his duty to the gods was still not completely fulfilled. Yes, he was certain. Something was not right. Something was missing. He glanced up at his horse to find her just as restless as he was and patted her neck before climbing onto her now dry back. Perhaps riding would do something to help relieve their unease.

_A loud horn sounded and she swore under her breath. She had been seen after all. Not caring anymore, she raced to the castle's front gates and squeezed through the metal bars, stumbling and falling over right before the guards reached for her and grabbed empty air. She quickly got to her feet and sprinted off in a random direction as a roar of fury echoed behind her. She wasn't sure where she was going, but she knew that anywhere away from the castle would be fine. The cold air brushed her cheeks and ahe couldn't help but smile as the fresh air finally entered her nose for the first time in far too long._

The horse began to snort and restlessly step backwards.

"Come on, Epona" the young man murmured softly and the crimson horse snorted once again before rearing in response. The person on top held on and comforted her, calming her with ease. "What's wrong, girl?" he asked softly, patting and petting her.

_"Midna!" the girl cried desperately as she looked backwards, the soldiers quickly catching up to her. "Midna!"_

_The demon appeared in front of the girl and looked at her with both amusement and excitement glowing in her yellow eyes. "You finally put your plan to action?" she mused._

The horse reared again with a sharp whinny, kicking and bucking in a frenzy. She obviously wanted the person off her back but he refused, not liking the thought of being trampled by her hard hooves.

"Whoa! Epona!"

_"Midna! Help me!" the girl pleaded and the demon smiled almost lovingly at her. The heavy sound of hooves were closing in and beastial roars reached their ears. "Please Midna!"_

The horse burst into a gallop, almost making the rider fall off. It was all he could do to cling to her as his green hat flailed wildly in the wind, the shield and sword clattering painfully against his back.

_"Only for you, Imouto" she whispered before opening a portal. The girl raced through but it was too late. The pursuers had caught up and followed her through before it could close. They moved in front of her, blocking her path before surrounding her on all sides. The disgusting overgrown boars they rode blew their even more disgusting breath in her face, making her want to gag._

_"The Master asked for you" one monster grunted._

_"I'm not going back" she stated defiantly, despite the trembling in her legs. She glanced around for an opening and hid a smile when she found one._

"Epona! Slow down! Where are you going?"

_The girl ran and barely made it through before the sound of hooves and another roar of outrage chased her._

"What was that?" the young man asked no one in particular, grunting when he finally regained a balanced position on his horse. She charged straight towards the noise and the sound of many, many heavy hooves and grunts entered his pointy ears. He grabbed his bow and knocked an arrow, confused. He ignored it and waited, holding onto his horse. They would be crossing paths soon.

_"Someone help me" the girl panted, near tears. She was so scared, positive that if she were caught that she would be killed. An unseen root tripped her and she crashed into the ground. The heavy pounding of hooves were almost on her now. They wouldn't be able to stop in time no matter how hard the rider pulled on the reins. Squeezing her eyes shut, she let out a terrified scream. But the pain never came. There was a soft thunk and a loud roar before everything was silent._

His eyes widened when he was the all too familiar creatures chase after a girl in a black cloak. She tripped and covered her head with her arms as he aimed. She screamed as he released the arrow. It flew straight and true, right into the boar's front left leg. It stumbled and collapsed, the rider flying off and crashing into the ground.

_Clip. Clop. Clip. Clop._

A horse?_ she thought, confused. A shadow then emerged from the trees to reveal a blonde man on a blood-red horse. He was dressed in the famed green tunic and the green hat. His blue eyes observed the scene before him as he drew his bow once again. The boars stepped back in apprehension._

_"I thought you ssaid you wouldn't bother us anymore" he murmured, eyes narrowing in distaste._

He released the second arrow and successfully shot one of the creatures in the throat. It gurgled once before falling off his steed. The boar immediately ran. The other boars followed and he drew another arrow, killing another guard before looking at the girl in front of him. He slid off his horse and took a few steps towards the trembling clump of cloth. She scrambled to her feet and raced towards his horse.

Before he could comprehend what was going on she had climbed on and raced off. His horse had not put up a fight. Why was that? He quickly raced over to a nearby clump of horse grass and blew on it. His horse did not return immediately, but when she did, she raced straight past him at a speed he never thought possible on her.

"Faster!" the girl pleaded and the horse obeyed.

"Hey! Epona!" he shouted but another set of hooves raced past him. He dodged just in time to not get trampled by another huge boar. He stared at it in more confusion, especially when he saw an _elf_ on top of it.

"What the..." he began but there was a terrified scream and his horse had returned to him moments later, restless and wanting him to get on. He did, and they were off again, chasing after something for some strange reason that couldn't exactly explain itself in his mind. He was too confused for his own good.

"When I ask for your audience I expect you to give it to me immediately" a voice growled and there was a yelp of pain. "I let you live in my castle for so long, and running away is how repay me?"

The young man hopped off his horse and slowly unsheathed his sword as he neared the man, sneaking up from behind. She spat in the man's face, disgusted.

"As if I would ever return to you" she hissed and he took this chance to slash right through the man. There was a soft 'poof' and the elf disappeared in a puff of smoke. A fake.

"Are you alright?" he asked, holding out his hand. The girl hesitated before nodding, the hood of her cloak still covering her face. "Let me help you up" he suggested, reaching for her, but she shied away from his touch. "Or not.."

"You won't... hurt me...?" she asked slowly, uncertainly, and his eyes narrowed in confusion at the question.

"Why would I do that? I just saved you" he replied and held out his hand. The girl still seemed skeptical so he sighed and shifted his weight onto one leg. "I swear I won't hurt you. I don't hurt innocent girls, just not what I do."

"If you touch me he'll try to kill you" she whispered and he couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"Many have tried in the past. They all failed. Come on."

She hesitated before placing her hand in his and looking up at him nervously. He couldn't see anything, though, beneath her hood, so he just gently pulled her to her feet, marveling at how light she was.

"Who... are you?" she asked as he released her hand and he smiled softly.

"People call me Link. Who are you?"

She hesitated once again. "Kagome..."

"Kagome..." he murmured, letting the name roll off his tongue. "Where are you from?"

"I don't know" she whispered and he looked at her, shocked.

"Well, then, you can just stay with me for now. I'll protect you from the ugly pig-riders."

She laughed and he smiled again before leading Epona over to her. She smiled up at the horse and gently patted the horses muzzle. The horse nudged her hood off her hood and Link finally saw her features. She had bright, but wise, blue eyes and jet black hair. She was pale, but not unhealthily so, and full lips that were currently curved into a small smile. He took in her expression and worriedly cocked his head to the side. Why did she look so... sad?

"...Epona..." she whispered and his eyes widened.

"How did you know her name?"

"You said it earlier" she replied, a look that said 'duh' on her face, and hopped on like a pro. Link followed suit, climbing on right behind her, and took the reigns from around her. The girl's uncomfortable and fearful glances fell on blind eyes. The young hero did, however, take note of the small tremors that wracked her body as he did so, so he quickly urged the horse forward, towards his home in Ordon Village.

"You were the one that saved the princess" Kagome stated. Her voice trembled.

"I am."

"How lucky she must be..." she whispered to herself before shutting her eyes, deep in thought. Link looked at her, confused.

"Lucky?" he asked and she looked up at him.

"Of course, to be saved so quickly..."

"She was there for a while" he informed.

"Not as long as I was" she sighed before chewing her bottom lip. The chill through her spine was getting stronger, and there could only be one reason for that. Her wretched Lord was getting closer. Before Link could comment, she leaned forward, neck arched up towards the sky, and called an all too familiar name.

Shocked, Link pulled back on Epona's reins and stared at the black haired female incredulously. How? How could she know?

Familiar, impish laughter filled the air and the Twilight Princess emerged from Epona's shadow.

"It would seem that you still don't particularly enjoy his company" she mused. Her yellow eyes flickered towards Link for a split second before landing on the girl again. Somehow, Link could tell that she wasn't referring to him. He could feel Kagome's body entire body quiver in him arms yet again. The area around him was suddenly became dark and the air cold. Slowly, carefully, as if whatever was hiding in the shadows would pounce the moment he touched the handle of his sword, he began to unsheathe it. Whatever was following them, whatever was following _her_, was not nice.

"It's time we got going" Midna sighed, snapping her fingers. Kagome turned into a mass of black squares before shooting into the darkened sky. Midna lingered for a few moments and gazed into Link's eyes, contemplating something, before grinning and disappearing as well. All the darkness among the trees began to pixelate and chased after the two young women through the dark portal in the sky.

Link sat atop Epona, sword drawn, and watched as the forest returned to its natural state. If not for the dead boars and trampled undergrowth, nothing would have remained of the presence of Midna and Kagome.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Zelda. I'm lacking in talent in those departments, although I would kill to be able to do what their makers did. (Sighs)

**Simple Dreams**

Chapter 2

firefox369

The girl known as Kagome lied on her back as she stared at the night sky, smiling sadly to herself. With a large sigh she slowly shut her eyes, thinking and brooding over the day's events. She had broken free of the castle to be saved by her childhood friend, Link. A small smile graced her features but it quickly disappeared when she reached the moment in her memories when she realized that he didn't remember her.

"I waited so long, too..." she whispered softly, holding up her hand and reaching for a star that she knew she would never reach. "...I waited so long for him, praying, hoping..."

"Is my dear imouto upset?" Midna teased and the girl smiled at the fiery haired Princess, opening her deep sapphire eyes and looking at her.

"No, just a little shocked."

Gracefully, Midna knelt beside the crestfallen girl and placed the palm of her hand on Kagome's cheek.

"I was going to bring him to you, but I didn't want you to get hurt" she whispered.

Kagome thought of the time Link had snuck into the Castle of Twilight. She had heard the chains on his leg and his ferocious growls as he fought off the guards, and as the sounds neared her room her heart pounded so fast and hard she thought she thought it was going to explode with excitement. But he didn't stop at her door, and ran forward instead. He didn't know. He couldn't have known. Besides, Princess Zelda was more important. _She_ could help him save the world, but Kagome...

Kagome was a slave tortured by nightmares.

"It's fine, Midna. I know you tried. The wind spoke to me and told me so."

"You're special like that, aren't you?" Midna laughed and Kagome turned her head to face the Princess of the Twilight Realm. The heartbreak in those cerulean eyes turned Midna's laugh into a bitter one. She broke Kagome's gaze and stared at the grass beneath her legs.

"That's why he chases me. I can't stay in one spot for too long. Others will get hurt, Midna." The black haired girl's voice was quiet.

The Princess scoffed. "_He_ will get hurt, you mean."

Kagome was the one to laugh this time and she faced the sky once again.

"I guess you could put it that way" she agreed and Midna sighed once more before deciding to leave her sister alone to think. The girl smiled softly to herself once again and giggled.

"At least I got to see him again" she sighed dreamily, not wanting to forget his features. She had heard about the Goddesses' 'Chosen one' and the moment she had heard the description, she had thought of Link. But when the boars had attacked his friend 'Ilia' and he did not remember the time when they had taken her, the hope blossoming in her chest began to wither.

She gently touched one of her ears. It was smooth and round compared to the sharp point that the Hylians had. She was the only one left, other than her brother, who had ears like hers. What had her Master and Lord called her again? Oh yes, 'human'. She was one of the last two 'humans' in a Hylian world now, a world filled with goblins and fairies and large castles that loomed over the entire country. For some reason, she felt like she didn't belong.

A giggle escaped her throat at the thought.

How many people could actually understand the words the wind whispered in their ears? How many could understand the words of the animals around them, the squirrels, the birds, the dogs, everything? How many could decipher the gurgled phrases released by the steady flow of water in the stream?

Yes, Kagome was one of a kind.

"I wonder, if my ears were pointy would I still be of any use to you?" she murmured to the approaching presence she felt behind her. It held a chilling aura. It was menacing and dark, almost evil. _Almost_, for the owner of the aura had once saved her before joining the world of twilight as a pawn.

There was a deep hum as the man mused her question before he chuckled.

"Unlikely, dear" he stated knowingly and Kagome sat up before looking at the man behind her. He was very similar in appearance to her friend, Link, which was what had fooled her into thinking they were the same person the first time they met. As she looked now, she noticed all the differences and scolded herself in her mind for being such an idiot. His hair was much paler, almost white, and his eyes held a slight tint of yellow to them instead of the pure blue she adored. The clothes he wore were always gray or black, and his shield held a different symbol on it while his sword held a menacing aura about it. The mask he wore covered his face, but she didn't need to look behind it. She knew that the similar characteristics of their faces was unimagineable, as if they were twins.

"You've come to fetch me."

"I am your _master_, Kagome, not a dog. I have been ever since the title of heir was given to me. It is my right to search for you whenever I so wish"

"Only because of _Him_ and that damn _wish _he made before his death. Midna would not allow it otherwise. She is forced to-"

"I tire of your excuses."

"I'm only stating the facts!"

"Know this, Kagome" he growled as he roughly grabbed her wrist and yanked her to her feet before slowly sliding his hand under her shirt and sliding it up to a spot just above her right hip. He gently placed a hand on a triangular marking, his face dangerously close to hers as he did so. "This is the only reason why I choose to take you as my wife, and if this mark were not on you, you would have died long ago."

"Then it's a shame, isn't it? Knowing that you will never be able to control it" she hissed and he smirked.

"I wouldn't be too certain about that, love. There are many things that you have yet to learn about me, and what small amount of knowledge you do have about me just barely scrapes the surface."

"Then enlighten me, oh great one."

"You think that just because you escaped the Twilight that your mouth may run rampant as well?"

"And what if I did?"

"Your freedom will not last, Kagome. As long as I am still alive, or you remain on my bad side, you will never be able to experience true freedom. I am watching your every move, and every single person and thing you make contact with. I have already sent some soldiers to retrieve that precious Link of yours and his steed. You have yet to escape me, and you never will. However..."

"However...?" Kagome urged, although hesitantly, and he loosened his painful grip on her wrist.

"I will release the two if you come back with me..."

"That's it?" she questioned, clearly not believing him. He pulled her closer until their faces were just about touching. It took all of Kagome's control not to grimace and attempt to flee.

"...and marry me" he finished.

"We are already betrothed" she stated, clearly not amused, "and unhappily so."

"Give yourself to me, and they will be set free."

"...I will... _give_... myself to you only if you let me taste true freedom beforehand."

"So you can run from me?" he scoffed, "I think not. I am not an idiot."

"I'll return to you" she swore, and his smirk grew wider and Kagome immediately regretted her words. He had taken his request and was using it in his favor. He was plotting something. Suddenly, he removed the sleeve from her shoulder and bit her, his fangs breaking skin as he did so. Kagome fought the urge to scream with every fiber of her being.

"A mark, so others know who you belong to. Do not forget, my love. If you do, your dearest _Link_ will have an... unfortunate accident."

The man shoved an image of Link's lifeless, crumpled body into Kagome's mind. She gasped in horror, fighting back with what little force she had and shattered the image into pieces.

A shiver of fear ran down her spine.

"Perhaps, before its too late, you should rescue him" he whispered hauntingly into the shell of her ear. Kagome spun around with large, fearul eyes, but he was already gone.

Kagome knew that he wouldn't release Link and Epona, so she took all her knowledge of the castle and began to make a plan, some sort of idea as to how she would rescue them. Deep inside, she was worried. _Really_ worried. Normal, living, breathing creatures couldn't handle the world of twilight for very long before turning into a spirit, and Kagome didn't want to take any chances of that happening. She didn't know how to reverse the effects when there wasn't a light spirit to save.

"Wait for me..." she mumbled, a plan forming in her mind as she listened closely to the stories the four winds brought her.

-Link-

He couldn't believe it! It was just _not_ possible that he had turned into a wolf again. But if he _had_ turned into a wolf, and all of this wasn't a dream like he deeply wished, then there was only one cause for it. The reason he came up with made him want to howl out all of his frustration. How had he possibly gotten stuck in the twilight world again?

But wasn't this what he found himself missing most moments of his life now?

Link shook his head and glared pointedly at the wall in front of him. He had been caught off-guard and dragged here by those boarish creatures he absolutely despised. Apparently he was very, very mistaken when he thought that they had agreed to leave him alone, for they were thriving in this place with their sharp, pointy weapons that had prodded him the entire way here. He grimaced at the thought.

And Midna was the princess? He found himself feeling sorry for her, wondering how she could possibly stand the monstrosities.

But that wasn't what he was supposed to be worrying about right now. He needed to find a way to escape from the prison, and, unlike before, he didn't have Midna to help him, or a cell in extremely bad shape with tons of cracks and holes. No, this prison cell seemed like it had been taken care of well. He sniffed his annoyance and was surprised when he found a faintly familiar scent that practically bathed the room. Just about tearing apart his brain for the information he wanted, he was pleased to remember that the scent smelled a lot like the girl he had saved earlier that day.

He memorized her scent and sniffed around a bit more. He smelled blood that obviously didn't belong to her but it was fairly new. He reasoned that it was a guard since it smelled so horribly compared to the girl.

There was a click and the shackle around Link's front, right leg jingled as he took a few steps away from the door. A man that smelled more familiar than the blood came into the room and looked down at him, eyes holding a look of disgust and disdain.

"Pitiful" he commented, "the fact that the gods have turned you into a mutt."

Link snarled at the comment and lunged to find that his shackle had been reconnected to another chain. One that was much, much stronger.

"Short temper, too. What could she possibly see in you?"

Link had no idea who this 'she' was but the anger behind the snarl increased ten fold, along with the volume of it. The man was clearly insulting him and-

"But that will all be fixed soon. You can't have her, and she can't have you. I made sure of that." He placed a plate on the ground and nudged it towards Link with his foot. He did it grudgingly, but did it nonetheless. "The things I do in order to get on her good side" he growled before slamming the door shut. This just proved to confuse Link even more, but he lowered his head and sniffed the plate and it's contents. Food.

Not knowing when he would get his next meal, or if it was safe to eat, he plopped down onto his stomach and just stared. The gears in his brain were turning as he tried to think of a way to escape from the twilight world. But he knew that without Midna, even if he were to escape from the prison, he would still be in the realm of twilight. He needed a portal in order to return home, and without a portal he was trapped. Link growled at the thought. He had never been trapped before, and he didn't want to start now. Looking around, he noticed a small something glittering in the darkness and he gave the best grin he could muster in his wolfish state, baring his teeth for all to see.

The key to his freedom was lying on the ground. Who would have thought he'd be that lucky?

To Be Continued...


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Zelda. I'm lacking in talent in those departments, although I would kill to be able to do what their makers did. (Sighs)

**Simple Dreams**

Chapter 3

firefox369

Link sniffed the shiny object and recognized it to be a fork, most likely left on the ground when the former owner of the room was taken away or escaped. Picking it up between his sharp teeth, he began to fiddle with the lock on his shackles. There was a click and he stifled a yip of glee as to not alert the guards of his discovery. The chains dropped from their hold on his leg and he lifted it, marveling at how light it felt now.

Now, all he had to do was wait for the guards to appear and take the tray away. That hopefully wouldn't take very long to do.

Sitting down on his haunches, he waited for the familiar click of another lock being undone and the sliding sound of the metal bar holding the door shut from the outside. When the door opened, some sort of creature wearing way too much armor for his own good appeared and drowned all hopes of Link escaping that way. Deciding to wing it, he tackled the guard (which only succeeded in making him stumble) and raced out the door. Being in the open for everybody to see was the least of his worries right now, and as the guards chased him around the castle, he found himself kind of liking being on the run. The feeling of adrenaline running through his veins made him even more excited and a pathetic imitation of a grin appeared on his face. He got in the way of some people, making them stumble, dodged others, and, just for the heck of it, purposely knocked a few over.

There was a siren and his grin grew even wider than he thought possible. This wasn't like him, he knew, but he just couldn't help it. It had been too long since he had last laughed in the face of danger and he wanted to aggravate it some more. He was careful about how far he went, of course.

"He was last seen going towards the stables!" a voice shouted. It was far away, distant, but he heard it just as well as if the person were right next to him. How he loved being a wolf at times. Sure, he had been complaining about it not even an hour before, but he changed his mind. Who wouldn't? He had four legs for faster running, sharp teeth, claws, a better sense of smell, better eyesight etc., etc. The only thing he regretted was not having his shield with him. And sword. Oh, how he missed his sword.

"What are you doing?" a voice hissed his ears perked up. Midna! "You don't even have your weapons with you."

He growled in distaste as the princess appeared beside him, running with him. She scowled.

"And here I thought you were finally coming to like me. No matter. It seems another escapee has called for my help." She turned into a shadow and disappeared, leaving the wolf to his own devices. Great. Now how was he supposed to warp out of this place?

There were heavy thuds as hooves slammed the ground, along with the loud flapping of wings. Yes, something was not right. Sparing a glance back, his eyes widened in surprise before he sweatdropped. They really went all-out to retrieve him...

* * *

She appeared in the twilight world to be met with the sight of chaos. Amused, she listened to the wind, shutting her eyes to do so. A giggle escaped her throat when she found out the reason behind the castle's distress. It seemed that the little hero had found a way out of his cell. Now, all she had to do was find his steed. She didn't have to look hard. There was only one palce that they kept any animals in the castle, and that was in the stables. Of course, she wasn't particularly fond of all the boars they took care of there, but she would do it in order to save Epona.

She looked at the shield and sword she had retrieved without much trouble and strapped them on to her back. With a deep breath, she began to stealthily move towards the stables, determined to return the horse to the world she belonged. The wind swirled around her comfortingly, blowing her cloak around her, making it billow and swirl in the small breeze. If only she could control the wind, how easy it would be then...

Kagome snuck into the stables from a window and resisted the urge to gag at the stench released from the demonic pigs, instead concentrating on looking for the beautiful horse she had always loved. There! Sneaking over to her, Kagome whispered soothing noises before climbing onto her back. The stablehands noticed immediately and released screams and shouts in a language she didn't understand. Ignoring them, she urged Epona forward and burst out of the stall.

"Hyah!" she shouted, gently squeezing the horse's sides, and the horse leapt forward, trampling everything in her path as she burst out the stable door.

There was a loud screech and Kagome looked back to see a large demonic bird/bat thingie flying her way. Not knowing what to do, she hesitantly drew Link's sword and jabbed when it came too close. It screeched in pain before exploding in burst of light and disappearing.

"Goddesses help me!" she pleaded, not liking the idea of infiltrating the castle anymore. The horse turned and raced towards the sound of snarling and cries of pain. Kagome's eyes widened in horror. "Noo, Epona, don't bring me to battle! That bird was a fluke! I didn't know what I was doing!" she exclaimed and the horse snorted in reponse, clearly not caring. "Epona!" she cried but the horse ignored her and trampled a foot soldier in order to make her way to the snarling noise. Another bird dove at her and she screamed. But the pain never came.

"The things I do for you" a voice growled and Kagome slowly opened her eyes to see her betrothed. The mob began to back away and he turned to look at her, long, pale blonde hair following his movement. He grabbed Kagome's wrist and yanked her off the horse, succeeding in making her collapse on top of him. He didn't fall over, but kept his firm grip on her wrist anyway.

"I agreed to set you free, so I'm surprised to see you back so early."

"I came to retrieve-"

"Yes, yes, I know."

"Why, then?"

"There is no need for me to explain my every action to you, woman."

There was a loud snarl and Kagome gave a scream of surprise when she saw the large wolf behind her, unconciously pushing herself closer to her hated husband. His chest rumbled as he laughed wth little amusement, wrapping his arms around the girl's waist.

"Don't touch me" she hissed, still scared of the wolf.

"Why are you so scared of the hero of time? How quickly your loyalties change."

"..Link..?" she whispered uncertainly and tensed when she felt warm breath on her neck. She squeezed her eyes shut and looked away from the wolf, ashamed that he had to see this.

"Yes, that is Link, koi."

"Let me go" she whimpered and there was a cruel chuckle.

"And if I refuse?" There was a loud bark followed by a snarl as Link bared his teeth at the heir. The heir raised an eyebrow before shoving Kagome towards the animal with a sneer.

"Do not forget."

"I won't" she whispered.

"You belong to me. Don't forget to be a good girl" he sneered before turning away, along with all of his guards. She watched his fading back, holding back the urge to cry. She couldn't cry here, not in front of Link. Not in front of the castle for the entire world to see. The breeze once again wrapped around her and nudged her to her feet. The world watched in amazement as it did so.

"Time to create a portal?" Midna asked as she appeared from Link's shadow and Kagome nodded. A swirl of black appeared and she walked through it, leading Epona. Link followed close behind. There was a groan and Link turned into his normal self, green tunic and all.

* * *

_"Hey! Give him back!" a little girl cried._

_"But he's _always_ yours!" another child, a boy, whined._

_"Mommy asked me to take care of him while she cooked! I hafta go home soon."_

_"Promise to play afterwards?" the boy pleaded, holding the baby close and refusing to let him go._

_"Promise."_

_The boy hesitated, then pouted, before giving the bundle back to the girl. The baby wrapped inside cooed and giggled. With a huff and a quick turn on her heel, the girl went storming back home._

_"Don't forget. You promised!" the boy called after her, waving his arm. When she didn't turn around he frowned, but let it go. He _had_ kidnapped her little brother from her (again) after all, but if he didn't then she wouldn't play with him. All he wanted was a friend, and in the small village he lived in a child around his age was difficult find. He was parentless, as well, which didn't help. The adults were weary of him, not knowing who he was or his parentage. They had found him in the stream, cradled in a small basked and wrapped in blankets with his name stitched into the bottom corner of each one._

_"Hey."_

_The boy looked up to see the girl who was _supposed _to have left. She kicked the ground with her feet, embarrassed._

_"I forgot to say... my mommy wanted to know if you want to come over for dinner."_

_The boy grinned._

_"Only if I get to carry Souta."_

* * *

"Are you alright?" he asked and Kagome smiled softly, a smile that wouldn't have reached her eyes if they were open.

"Yes, I'm fine."

"If you say so..." he mumbled softly before sighing and observing the surrounding area. All he could see was desert, sand dunes, and blue sky.

He had a difficult time believing her, she knew.

"Here" Kagome grunted, taking the sword and shield off her back before walking towards the young man. He watched her with curiosity and uncertainty out of the corner of his eyes as she began to unbuckle the harness that held his sword sheathe. She reached around him and began to slip the harness into place.

"What are you doing?" he gaped, lunging out of her reach and spinning to face her with an incredulous expression. She scurried back and hugged the sword, shield, and accompanying leather close to her body. Her eyes were wide with terror.

"I-I was just going to put on your s-sword and shield for you" she stammered.

"Why would you do that?" he demanded, shocked and confused. She was doing just fine lopping things in half and breaking in and out of the castle earlier. Why was she so afraid now? Perhaps the adrenaline had finally left her body?

"I just thought-"

"I'm a hero for goddess-sake, I can-"

"I'm sorry!" Kagome wailed, falling to her knees and bowing her head. "I'm sorry! I won't do it again, so please forgive me!"

The desperation in her voice and the trembling of her body made Link pause in his tirade. He took a step towards the shivering girl, watching in horror as she flinched. He took another step. She flinched again. When he was close enough, he could see the tears splattering onto the sand and could hear her soft sniffles.

Why was she so servantile? What had she been through in her past to make her act like this? Why was she so afraid?

What had he done?

"I won't hurt you" he whispered, slowly reaching his hand out and placing it on her shoulder. He could feel the muscles in her arms tense as she prepared herself for a beating. "It's alright, I promise. You just surprised me is all."

Kagome sniffled again and slowly raised her eyes to look into his. It took all of Link's efforts to not hug her right then and there and show her that he meant it. The intensity of that fear, that pain, that _hope_ hit him like a club to the chest. It took all of his efforts and more to swallow the large lump building in his throat. So this was what a broken soul looked like.

Carefully, as if afraid that he would take back his word, Kagome began to loosen her hold on his blessed gear. Her grip on it was still vice-like, he noticed. It would probably be best to take things slow and gradually train her away from her slave-like tendencies. With that thought in mind, he stood and motioned for her to stand, as well. She quickly followed his silent order and gazed at him from under her long bangs.

"I'll let you help this once" he sighed, raising his arms.

Kagome hesitated as if making sure he spoke truth, but relaxed slightly. This small semblance of her former life, however horrible and painful, was familiar. She found a strange comfort in it.

"If you don't hurry up my arms are going to get tired" Link joked, and immediately realized it was the wrong thing to say when her expression changed into one of mute horror and she rushed to his side. Her hands worked fast and efficiently, and she had Link dressed in record time. The Hero of Time blinked twice before lowering his arms and looking at the fidgeting girl. He glanced at Epona, who snorted, before uncomfortably reaching out his hand.

"Um... Good job" he muttered, awkwardly patting Kagome's head. Kagome's self control nearly broke when he reached for her, but the gentle pats were oddly soothing, and she found herself blushing slightly at his touch. She chewed the inside of her lip to keep herself from grinning like a fool.

"Come on, we should find somewhere I recognize before we all die of thirst."

Kagome glanced up and couldn't help but gape at the softness in his entire expression. Link was everything, yet nothing like she remembered. He was nothing like what she'd lived with the past thirteen years.

He was everything she had hoped for, and more.

"We'll let Epona rest. She's injured and we're lacking lots of water. We need to go by foot from here on out."

When Link began to walk, she trailed a few feet behind and stole glances at the sword and shield she had strapped onto his back. She looked at his leather boots, the gauntlets on his arms, and his swaying green hat. Finally, she gathered the courage to stare at him as a whole, at the large expanse of his back.

Right then and there, she placed all of her hopes under the care of those broad shoulders. They had carried the burden of the Goddesses' wills, the dreams of a human girl would add little weight in comparison.

Had she known what was going to happen, she would have returned to her Master's side immediately and never would have stepped into Hyrule again.

* * *

AN: So I didn't change much at the beginning of the chapter, but I basically rewrote the entire second half it. Most of the next few chapters have been (basically) completely rewritten, as well. I hope you guys like the newer version! In case you're wondering, Kagome is _not_ going to be a weak sobbing pile of mess the entire series. I hate when Kagome's portrayed as extremely weak and useless, so it took _a lot_ of effort to write the beginning of this. The change is gradual, but she should be pretty much herself by, from what I have written so far, Chapter 9. I hope you'll bear with me until then x.x


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Zelda.

AN: Because I already have most of what was originally posted rewritten, I'm just updating what I have right now all at once. I personally think the story gets better as it goes on, and hopefully you guys will agree with me .

**Simple Dreams**

Chapter 4

firefox369

The Hylian glanced at the woman behind him, curious about her health. She was unusually pale, which was to be expected from being locked up for so long, but it was an extremely sickly hue. If his thoughts were correct, the girl would collapse at any moment. Of course, that was what he thought ever since they started on this journey and she still had yet to even stumble or trip. Until now. Her foot hit a particularly soft part of sand and she fell forward, landing upon the expanse of gold in an unsightly ragged heap.

Link hurried to her side and helped her sit up, firmly holding her weak body to his muscled one with his strong hands.

"Are you okay?" he asked, but the only response he got was an exhausted cough. She had clearly overworked herself. The hero smacked himself upside the head in his mind.

Of course she overworked herself. She rarely traveled, her body was weak, she had been running about all day escaping from the guards, she was under emotional turmoil, she was stressed in all kinds of ways, and to make it worse, he hadn't even realized that they didn't take a break for hours even while directly under that burning sun.

"We'll stop here for the day" he told her and she forced her eyes open.

"I can keep going" she rasped.

"No, we're stopping here."

"I can keep going" she repeated, this time with more force behind her words. Link shook his head. He wasn't going to let her exert herself to near death. No matter what she said, they needed to stop for the day.

"Please" she begged, "I can keep going"

Her voice cracked.

"Kagome, we are going to _stop_ here" Link said with conviction. "We'll keep going tomorrow."

Cerulean eyes snapped open and Kagome squirmed furiously in his grasp. "No! I can keep going!" she cried, practically fighting him in order to get to her feet. "I can keep going! Please!"

Link wrestled her to the ground and pinned her there, staring down at her panting body. Tears of desperation rolled down her cheeks and his serious expression turned into one of understanding. She thought he was going to leave her.

"I'll be right here, well within your sight the entire time. You need to rest, Kagome" he soothed.

"I can keep going" she sniffled.

"I swear, I'll be right here" he promised before slowly letting go of her. "I'm going to find things to tend to a fire. It'll start getting dark soon and desert nights are cold."

He sat up and looked around at the area around them. The sun was sinking over the horizon and the sky was turning a light shade of violet. Unsure of where they should stop considering they were in the middle of a desert, Link just let Epona go and let her wander as he began to clear a small area of what little grass it had. The grass he pulled out, he threw into a large pile in the center. Kagome watched for a few moments, observing his work, before beginning to tend to a small patch behind him. He noticed and sighed.

"If you're going to help, just make sure not to overwork yourself" he commanded. Her antics were beginning to grate on his nerves. She was too desperate in his opinion, and too helpless. He would have to fix that.

She watched him carefully with her tired eyes. This was what she was raised to do. She wasn't about to let her current Lord do a peasant's work.

"I don't think we're going to be able to set a fire safely without ripping up the entire area" he sighed after ten minutes of the labor. Kagome had also contributed, but her hands weren't accustomed to the work and quickly began to be rubbed raw. Some places were bleeding slightly when some some sharper blades of grass sliced her hand as she pulled on them. Upon seeing the state of her hands, Link went over to Epona and pulled out a bandage from one of her packs, along with a small canteen of water. His face was sour.

Kagome wearilly watched his movements. She occasionally shifted because of the nervous feeling in her body and tensed when Link turned to face her. She flinched when he took a step towards her, eyes widening in terror. Link noticed and stopped where he was before fighting the urge to scream and setting the items down and deciding to light the grass. So what if they might create a fire that would quickly run out of their control? He would risk it. Anything to break the tense atmosphere and her stubborn need to work herself to death.

When the fire was lit and quickly made it's way through the grass, Link looked around for a random stick. Not finding one, he scowled and took out his quiver of arrows, grudgingly throwing his arrows in the fire instead in order to keep the fire going. When he was satisfied that the fire wouldn't go out for a while, he turned back to Kagome, who was now watching him with apprehension. He leaned over and picked up the supplies he retrieved from Epona before slowly making his way over to the girl.

She cowered as he moved closer. Not wanting to frighten her, he decided it was best if she made her way to him, instead. He plopped onto the ground with a grunt and looked up at her, holding out his hand.

"Come on, Kagome, I won't hurt you" he reasoned and she looked at him uncertainly. Link was obviously extremely confused. He had travelled with her all day without doing anything remotely frightening, and she still didn't trust him? He sighed before turning away from her. He felt like he was trying to get an abused puppy away from the shadows of an alleyway.

He glanced at her occasionally to see her staring at the fire with something akin to sorrow and he looked back down at the canteen and bandages, a similar look on his face.

Link sighed once again before staring back at the dancing flames. It licked hungrilly at the air, and he couldn't help but sigh for a third time. Things were beginning to look a bit bleak.

"Will you at least let me bandage your hands?"

"..is that... all you're going to do...?" Kagome asked and he looked at her, nodding. She stood up before taking one step towards him. He could see her trembling. The steps were graceful, albeit painstakingly slow, and she stopped right in front of him, her form seeming to tower over him. He held out his hand and she hesitated before reaching out with her own. She paused when her fingertips brushed over his, a strange feeling entering her stomach, but forced herself to go on. Her hand hovered above his for a few moments before she placed her palm against his leather-covered one.

She tensed, wanting to know what he would do next.

He smiled happily before gently taking her hand and tugging on it, motioning for her to sit down. She obeyed and he took the cork off the canteen and poured a little bit of water onto a piece of cloth. He dabbed at the drying blood, cleaning her hand as well as he could before taking a bandage and wrapping it up.

"Is it too tight?" he asked and she quickly shook her head, black locks flying everywhere. He gave a light chuckle before continuing the process with the other hand. When he was done, he looked up at her to see a light tint of pink on her cheeks.

"That wasn't too bad, now, was it?" he asked and she once again shook her head. He let go of her hands and stretched before shedding his shield and sword and falling backwards onto his back to stare at the sky. Not sure of what to do, Kagome quickly stepped back and sat down in her original spot, not wanting to look at the blonde. She was certain that the Master would kill either him or her if they got much closer than they just did.

"Well, I'm going to sleep" he stated, stretching, and she looked at him before slowly nodding.

He smiled at her once again and Kagome's heart began to pound. From fear or embarrassment she didn't know, but she hoped desperately that it was the latter. It had been too long since she felt something like that. Her life had been plagued by fear, pain, and betrayal for way too long and she didn't want to deal with it anymore.

"Lord?"

Link glanced at her, confused. "Are you talking to me?"

She nodded.

"Call me Link. Please. I hate being called Lord." _Especially by you._

"Thank you" she whispered and Link's blue eyes flicked over to her. She still hadn't called his name, and she was very obviously avoiding it.

"Any time, Kags."

_Kags?_ she thought, not sure what to make of it. Before she could ask, though, he turned onto his side and shut his eyes. That was a sure sign that he wanted to sleep so she let the subject rest for the time-being.

Looking at Epona, she noticed that there was a blanket hanging out of one of the pouches. She herself was used to the chill that naturally came with dungeons, but as she looked at Link and looked at his curled form, she could tell that he was not. The air was indeed getting cooler, and with that thought in mind, she walked over to the horse and took the blanket out. Moving stealthily towards the elf, she swiftly draped the blanket over his sleeping form.

"Good night" she murmured softly and there was a quick intake of breath from him as the blanket landed on top of him. She stifled a giggle and made her way to her side of the camp, deciding to stand guard. Link obviously had no reason to do it before, so she could understand why the thought of having a person up to watch the area at night completely escaped his mind.

He never had to worry about guards chasing him down and killing him.

He wasn't taking care of a soon-to-be-queen of the Twilight, either.

A 'clip, clop' noise alerted her of Epona making her way towards her and she turned towards the horse, smiling. Epona gently nudged Kagome's hand with her muzzle and Kagome sighed, fondly petting the mare. Her fur was amazingly soft and seemed to be screaming 'Pet me! Pet me!'

"Your master is too kind for his own good, ne?" she asked and the horse flung her head back, nodding once. Kagome laughed softly and touched the bandages on her hands. They weren't too tight or too loose, and she could tell that they were tied on with great care and... dare she say it? An emotion not unlike love. A sudden chill raced down her spine and she gasped, hands slowly moving towards her head. Images filled her mind and she shook her head, which was now being held on to by her hands, trying to fling them out of her memory.

* * *

_"I heard that the princess from your world was rescued" a voice stated and Kagome looked up at the pale-haired man in front of her._

_"Was she? By whom?" Her voice was monotonous, void of all emotion. She wouldn't let the man, no, _beast_ in front of her see her in her moment of weakness._

_"Do you really need to ask? You should know by now."_

_"Link."_

_"Hai. Your beloved Link came to the twilight world and ran straight past your cell and towards the Princess. By the looks of it, the Princess was the only thing on his mind."_

_"Shut up..." she whimpered but the man continued._

_"Face it, stop these silly fantasies of yours. He has yet to come for your sake, and he never will."_

_"Shut up."_

_"He probably doesn't even remember you anymore."_

_"No! He remembers me! I know he does!"_

_"He does not."_

_"He does! He hast to! It was just a spur of the moment thing! He'll come back for me, I know he will!" she screamed, spinning around and slicing her hand on a loose nail from the wooden door that the man stood in front of._

_"Come here Kagome" he commanded and she had no choice but to obey. He gently took her hand in his and ripped his shirt. He dabbed at the wound for a while before wrapping it up with another piece of cloth that he ripped from his shirt._

_"Why are you doing this?" she asked, voice trembling from unshed tears._

_"Because, koi, you are mine. Mine to love, mine to protect, and if I wish it, mine to punish. Never forget that."_

_"Your definition of love is quite brutal" she hissed and he smirked._

_"Do not tempt me to make it even more so."_

_She froze and he chuckled coldly, pushing her back into the darkness as the door slammed shut in front of her terrified face._

* * *

A loud whinny and a rearing Epona forced her out of her trance and she spotted a lone figure in the darkness. It was just a shadow, but all she could easily make out the eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness. They narrowed in amusement and she took a step back, not wanting them to get closer. A set of sharp teeth met her eyes as he smiled and she stifled a scream, tripping on her cloak and falling backwards.

She hit the ground with a loud thud but she couldn't feel anything as the fear blocked out all of her other senses. The figure moved closer but suddenly stopped when something else got in the way of his progress. A metaillic 'shing' sliced the air as Link drew his sword, glaring at the other pair of icy eyes. There was a 'hmph' and the eyes disappeared, along with the rest of the shadow, but his words met her ears nonetheless.

_"Control yourself, Love, before I make your punishment even more painful than you could ever imagine."_

"Are you alright?" Link asked worriedly and Kagome wrapped her cloak closer around her body in order to stop the chill that wouldn't leave her body. She continued to shiver before sitting on her legs and bending over, crying. "Hey, Kagome?"

"I'm fine..." she whispered hoarsely, "I'm fine."

"If you say so..."

"I was just a little shocked is all... go back to sleep, Lord."

He shook his head. "No. I'll stand guard. Rest, Kagome, you'll need it for tomorrow."

"Yes, Mas- Lord" she quickly cut herself off, scolding herself mentally for almost mistaking the man before her for her 'Master'. She knew the difference and could see it so clearly, yet... when it was so dark and she was in such great fear, she couldn't tell one from the other.

"Go on, shoo" he teased in order to lighten the mood. When she still didn't move, he walked over to her and took her shoulders, leading her to the spot he was previously, and motioning for her to rest. She hesitated before obeying, sitting on the ground and grabbing the blanket that lay forgotten.

"Don't worry, okay? And it's Link, remember? _Link_" he sighed when he saw that she looked skeptical about everything. Kagome nodded slowly before lying down and pulling the blanket up. The moment she pulled the blanket up, she fell into a not-so-welcomed slumber.


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Zelda.

**Simple Dreams**

Chapter 5

firefox369

_"Look, onii-chan!" a girl chirped excitedly when the door to her 'room' was opened. She held up a paper crane. It was folded sloppily but the form could still be made out and there was no mistake as to what it was. The older boy looked down at her, a look of happiness on his face. He was about three or four years older, and none of them had any idea as to what was going on around them._

_"It's beautiful, imouto" he laughed and gently took the crane from her fingers, looking at it in awe. "Where did you learn how to do this?"_

_"Okaa-chan taught me!" she chirped happily and the boy's smile turned sad. The girl didn't notice as she tackled him in a hug. "You won't leave me like okaa-chan, right?"_

_"Iie" he stated kindly, "I won't leave you. Ever."_

_"Onii-chan!" a fifteen-year-old girl cried as she was chained to the wall that wasx made of the cold, stained stone. Liquid seeped through her thin dress, but she did not need to look to see what it was. Afterall, in such a place as the one she was in, it did not take a genius to figure out that she had been shoved into the blood that dripped down the icy wall. She struggled and fought the hideous monsters that were restraining her, but it was useless. The young man turned cold, yellow-tinted eyes toward her and she released a pained sob. How could he do this to her?_

_"Onii-chan!" she shouted but he ignored her, turning around and walking out the door, leaving her in the room for the monsters to do god-knows-what to her. She let out an anguished scream at his betrayal. He had left her alone in the darkness once again. He had abandoned her when he had promised that he wouldn't._

_Just like her mother._

* * *

"Kagome" a voice called softly, and the girl groaned, slapping the hand that was shaking her awake away. "Kagome" he sighed and she growled before opening her eyes to see Link.

"We should head out before it gets too hot. There aren't any trees in the area that we can hide under during the hottest part of the day."

"Hai..." she whispered before sitting up with a yawn. Link laughed and began to pack up, folding the blanket. Kagome picked up his sword and shield and began to walk over to him again. The two exchanged an uncomfortable glance before Link finally gave in and raised his arms so Kagome could do her work, letting the blanket fall back to the ground. She worked more calmly today. Her movements weren't nearly as rushed and her breath was calm and collected. He could feel the gentle, unintentional brushes of her hands and fingers through his tunic, leaving the skin underneath warm and tingling. With one last yank on the leather strap, the moment was over and the blonde hero lowered his arms.

"Okay then, let's get going" he breathed, adjusting his sash before walking over to Epona and grabbing her reins. Kagome folded up the blanket and placed it back into the pack dangling off of Epona's side as Link scanned the campsite for anything they might have left behind. When they finished, they began their day's travels in silence, the only noise was their footsteps and Epona's hooves as they made contact with the soft ground. They walked at a slow and comfortable pace. Although they desperately needed to get out of the desert, Link wasn't too worried. He could see the remains of that goddess-forsaken bulblin hideout peaking over the horizon so he knew where they were.

"How old are you, Kagome?" Link finally asked and Kagome turned to look at him with a confused look on her face. She shook it off and lowered her head.

"18, Lord."

"Link" he corrected. "You're not that much younger than me. I'm only 20. You probably expected me to be older, right? Considering I saved the world. Maybe thirty?"

"Yes," she paused for a moment "you are younger than I expected, Lord."

"Link" he corrected again. "So, how long have you been captive in the twilight world?"

"I believe I've been there for thirteen years" she replied, completely skipping out on his name and title, and he nodded slowly, trying to figure out if he should believe her or not. She could see the gears turning in his head, trying to think of how that would be possible.

"If you were stuck there for that long, wouldn't you have permanently turned into a spirit by now?"

"No. Despite what most people believe, people do not turn into spirits forever if kept in the twilight world for too long. I had never turned into a spirit to begin with."

"You never turned in to a spirit?"

She smiled and looked at him. "You never did though, either, right?" she countered and he laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head.

"Well no, but I turned into that cute looking wolf instead."

The image of that snarling dark canine filled Kagome's mind and she couldn't help the small shiver that ran down her spine. Link noticed but fought off a scowl. That was why he tried to avoid turning into a wolf in front of other people. It was their natural instict to fear him when he was in that form.

"Why did they take you, Kagome?"

Kagome smiled sadly, gazing at her hands. "I am special, I suppose. They had their eyes on me since the moment I was born."

The bitter look on her face and the emptiness in her eyes told her that he had definitely hit painful grounds and that he should avoid the topic as much as possible from now on. But he still wanted to know why the Twilight Realm had need of her. If not for her rounded ears, she would have seemed like any normal Hylian to him.

"Are you afraid of Master Nial?" she asked.

"That masked man, right? Are _you_ afraid of him?"

Link stopped walking and turned to look at the pale girl. Her head was lowered, but her clenched, quivering fists and her grit teeth told him all he needed to know.

"I am" she whispered. With slow, deliberate steps, Link inched towards her until he was at her side. He took her hands in his.

"Don't worry" he soothed and Kagome looked up at him worried, afraid, and confused when he gave her hands a comforting squeeze. "I'll be here to fight him off."

The girl quickly looked to the ground and jerked her hands away.

"Why? Why would you do this for me?"

Link stared at her with his piercing blue eyes for a few moments before lowering his gaze as well. Why _was _he doing these things for her? He hardly even knew the girl and he was making promises he wasn't sure he'd be able to keep. Was it her helplessness? Her frailness? But Link knew it wasn't because of that, either. Those reasons didn't sit well within his stomach.

He thought back to when he was saving Princess Zelda instead. He could clearly remember running up those steps, hopping from broken staircase to broken staircase with Midna's help. He passed several doors along the way, but Midna knew where Zelda was, and wasn't about to let him waste time exploring every nook and cranny of the dilapidated castle. As he thought back to that time, the guilt began to sit even more heavily in his heart. Kagome was in one of those rooms. She was behind one of those doors, and had most likely heard the ruckus he was making as he clambered up the tower. How much hope did she have when he came rushing to her door, and how much had her heart broken when he simply raced passed it? He could practically see her leaning against the door, praying with her hands clasped and her head bowed that he would let her go, that he would set her free. But he hadn't.

His heart ached.

"I didn't save you" he finally answered, turning on his heel and moving forward, beginning their travels again, with quick steps. The guilt sat like a million bricks on his conscience. He couldn't save her then, but he could definitely save her now, of that he was sure. Even if she had been treated like a slave for thirteen years, he could break her from their bonds. He could release her from the habits and tendencies they'd beaten into her. He could set her free.

The soft pats of Kagome's feet against the sand told him that she was trailing behind him at Epona's side once again, and that made him bitter. He wished she would walk with him side by side. They were equals on this journey, and the sooner she realized that the better.

"Milord" she called.

"Link."

She purposely ignored him.

"If I may, I do not believe that you are a hero made by the goddesses."

Link paused in his steps, shoulders stiff. "Don't I look like one?" he joked, looking over his shoulder at her. Kagome shook her head, embarrassed.

"I meant to say, Milord, that no one is _made_ a hero."

He said nothing and simply continued to stare at her from over his shoulder, so Kagome continued.

"Men _become_ heroes by their own actions, and no man is perfect."

Link couldn't help the chuckle that left his mouth and shook his head. It would seem that he had taken in quite the philosopher, but her words weren't enough to drive that bitterness away.

"Kagome, nothing you say is going to change the fact that I didn't set you free when I was running around that castle."

"Yes, but nothing _you_ say _or_ do, Milord, is going to change that either" the girl argued quietly, as if she had said the words under her breath hoping he wouldn't hear her.

The young hero sighed. "I may not be able to change the past, but I can change _now_. I'm going to save you, Kagome."

But he couldn't, and Kagome was sure of it. Even if it would seem like he had saved her, in some definite amount of time he would either have to let her go or die protecting her. Her Master was relentless and cruel, and would stop at nothing to make sure that she would always be his and his alone. Link's words did not comfort her, and instead made her depressed. She could not bear to get close to the Chosen Hero while knowing that he would undoubtedly get hurt because of her. All the injuries he would suffer the coming months would be because of _her_, and the closer she got to him, the worse his wounds would get. Nial was a jealous man.

"And we're going to start with my name."

Kagome blinked.

"Your name, Milord?"

Link groaned and fought the urge to slap her across the head. "Call me Link. Seriously."

"That wouldn't be appropriate, Mi-"

"_Link_."

"But Mi-"

"_Link!_" he snapped. He really didn't want to have to resort to ordering her around. If it was a direct order from his mouth, not a request, she would surely obey him, but he didn't want her to start calling him by name because of an order. He wouldn't be able to stand the thought of that. It would have to be spoken from her own mouth of her own will.

They walked in silence for so long after his outburst that he was afraid that she had decided to never speak again rather than say his name before he heard her mutter something under her breath. His ears perked. She said it over again, hesitating for seconds in between each time and Link smiled. Was she _practicing_?

"Link" she finally said out loud and the hero ignored her. She said his name again, louder, and he tilted his head at her.

"What was that, Kagome? I don't think I heard you" he teased. "I'm going a little deaf you see."

"Please stop" she pleaded, a slight whine in her voice, and the blonde man's grin grew even wider.

"Come on, Kagome. What did you say?"

"Link!" she cried, shouting so loud that her voice echoed and the name came back ringing in her ears. Link finally turned around and took in the dark red blush dusting her cheeks. His smile became so wide he could hardly keep his eyes open.

"That's right," he stated with finality, puffing up his chest with pride, "and don't you forget that." He reached out with his hand and patted her head again. "And if you shout for me like that, I'll come flying to your side faster than you can blink."

Kagome's spirits soared and swept away her earlier troubles when he said those words. Maybe, just maybe, he would be able to fend off whatever grotesque Twilight Realm creatures were sent their way. He had saved Hyrule, after all. He couldn't be _that_ weak.

"Promise?" she blurted before blushing even harder and covering her mouth.

Link ruffled her hair in response.

"On my heart. Promise."

To Be Continued...


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Zelda.

**Simple Dreams**

Chapter 6

firefox369

There was a soft 'swoosh' as Link released the arrow on his bow, hitting his target from quite a long ways away. The animal released a squeal of pain, racing off in the opposite direction Link was located. Dismayed, the Hylian male made chase.

_Pant. Pant_.

Kagome easilly caught up to him and tore the bow from his grip, stealing an arrow from his quiver. The alarmed boy jerked to a stop, allowing the girl to race past him with uncanny speed. She aimed, pulling the arrow back when she skidded to a halt, a cloud of dust rising in her wake.

_Thunk!_

The arrow hit the prey in a lethal spot, ensuring it a peaceful passing to the other world. It made no sound other than a slight grunt as it dropped to the ground. The life had left its body before it even made contact with the packed earth. Meanwhile, Link jogged over to the panting female, watching as she regulated her breathing. Glancing a few feet away, he saw that the hunt, a small rabbit, was safely in their grasp.

"I didn't know you were good at archery" he stated when he made his way through the grass to pick up its prone form.

"I didn't know I was, either" she replied before gazing up into Link's azure orbs. But she heard and saw, even if Link hadn't. She could hear the rabbit's cries for help and its screams of pain as it leapt away, and she knew that it would not longer be able to survive on its own. That was when she stole Link's bow and fired, shooting for the sake of easing it misery. Her aim was off, Kagome knew, and she saw the wind guide the arrow to its place embedded in the rabbit's head.

"You're really good with one, I'm not going to lie."

"Thank you" she whispered, but the compliment tore at her insides. It had been a while since she had been complimented, yet the praise rang like a death toll in her ears. The weapon dangled uncomfortably in her hand. It wasn't as awkward as when she held his sword, but she did not feel like like it _belonged_ in her hand, as if it were _meant to be there_. The entire thing just felt wrong. Kagome was not a killer, and she did not want to be. Link misinterpreted the gaze in her eyes and a slight smile curved his lips upwards. Slinging the quiver off his back, he held it out to the girl. Kagome gazed at them, confused for a few moments before she took a step back.

"No, no, I can't take them from you" she stated hurriedly, holding the bow out and expecting him to take it back. He didn't. Instead, he gently tossed the quiver at her. She caught it, the arrows clattering in her ears, and blinked owlishly.

"Keep them. I'm sure you'll put them to better use than me."

"But I've never even touched a bow before!" she argued, urging him to take the weapon back, and once again he refused.

"Keep it. I've still got my trusty sword" Link informed, patting the sheathed object strapped to his back, the leather binding crossing his emerald-clothed chest. "Besides, this way you have a way to protect yourself. We've been together for a few days already, and once we get out of these deserts there are going to be larger things than scorpions and snakes running around. I trust you not aim that thing at me, and you need it."

Kagome sighed, grudgingly swinging the bow and arrows around her shoulder. The weight was something she was uncaccustomed to, but the knowledge that she actually had a means with which to fend off danger until help arrived made the slight burden tolerable. And with that, the two made their way back to camp, Kagome's worn, black cloak fluttering behind her.

When darkness fell and the waxing quarter moon rose into the sky, Link released a sigh of content and flopped on his back, the sword and shield in a pile at his side, and stared at the stars. A warm breeze carressed the grass, making the long stalks sway in large waves. They bowed in the wind, occasionally lowering so far that they tickled Kagome's nose from her seat on the dirt a few feet away from the Hylian. This schedule had become the norm for her. They woke up early and traveled all day with frequent breaks, stopping and making camp only when the sun began to dip near the horizon. The last few days had gone by slowly and uneventfully, and the calm and quiet made Kagome unusally comfortable and sociable. Without her Master breathing down her neck and the pain of disobeying him constantly on her mind, she found herself slowly opening up to the Choesen Hero.

A wolf's howl echoed in the distance, the mournful cry rising, then falling. The next time the howl came, it was accompanied by more and more, until the chorus ended a few moments later.

"What business did you have in the twilight realm?" Link questioned, breaking the calm silence between the two of them, and the human girl smiled sorrowfully.

"_Him_" was the simple response.

"The guy with the mask? Nial you called him?"

Silence.

"I'm right, aren't I? What does he want with you?"

"Everything" she whispered wistfully, recalling the times when the man had been _kind_ to her. She hugged her knees and drew small circles in the dirt with the tip of her pointer finger. _And I would have given everything if only to be with him back then..._

Link hummed, not exactly sure of what to say to her statement. Glancing at her quickly, the slight, nostalgic smile on her face did not go unnoticed. Apparently the man hadn't been a complete jerk to her before, but that didn't lessen the amount of dislike he had for the guy. He still despised him with a passion.

"You like him."

Kagome's wistful smile turned bitter. "Once upon a time." With a swipe of her hand, a cloud of dirt flew into the air and the circles she had drawn disappeared along with it. "He was charming for a while, but I don't know what happened to him. One day, he just..._changed_."

"Change happens."

"He was the only one that protected me against the onslaught of boars and ogres and imps running around, the reason why I wasn't thrown in the dungeons the moment I was brought into the twilight realm."

Link hummed again. He hadn't had any experiences quite like that, but he had been thrown into the dungeons there quite a few times, and he wasn't fond of the living conditions one bit. Hay was not exactly the most comfortable thing to sleep on. It was itchy, and scratchy, and it smelled wierd. Not to mention, it could be infested with something.

"How long were you in the dungeons?"

"Six years."

The boy winced. Ouch. _That must have sucked_.

Epona snorted softly and lowered her head, preparing to go to sleep, which reminded the two of what time it was. With a grunt, Link sat up, not taking his eyes off the stars.

"I'll stand watch. You get some sleep."

Kagome shook her head. "You barely got any sleep last night. Let me do it today."

"No. I'm not tired."

"Link, go to sleep. I'll wake you up in a few hours so I can get some rest too."

The sound of his name falling from his lips still felt like a major feat and made his pride swell with victory even days after she stopped calling him "Lord."

"You promise you'll wake me up?" he asked, not quite sure whether or not to believe her. She nodded.

"I promise."

Link sighed, falling back onto his back with an 'oomph.'

"Just try not to get yourself killed, okay? Put those arrows to use if you need to" he mused. A soft chuckle, and his eyes shut in an attempt to fall asleep. It didn't take long before he grew successful, dreaming almost immediately after those tired eyes closed. The young woman smiled knowingly. No matter what he said, she knew that he was fatigued and needed his rest. After all, Kagome couldn't protect them from a barrage of monsters or animals at the same time and they both knew that. Now that she had a weapon, one that she could use, she could fend off whatever came her way long enough for Link to wake up and step in.

Her sapphire eyes drifted over his body, seeing his blonde hair, his relaxed face, the Adam's apple at his neck, and they moved downward to gaze at his clothed chest, to his slim waist before drifting back up to stare at the pale, but healthy skin, at his cheeks. The longer she looked at the hero, the more she was reminded of _him_. Of her _fiance_. She compared their eyes, their hair, their personalities, _everything_, and felt guilty soon after.

She despised herself for comparing the two of them.

_Snap!_

Kagome hopped to her feet and pulled the bow off her shoulder. Before she could grab an arrow, though, one hand gripped her wrist while the other covered her mouth. Muffled pants broke the silence, followed by a harsh whisper.

"You will cease this nonsense before your bodyguard wakes and I am forced to kill him."

Kagome calmed immediately, recognizing the voice behind her. Her muscles began to relax one by one, but remained fairly tense. The hand drifted away from her mouth and the grip on her wrist loosened.

"What are you doing here?" she questioned, not turning around to face her masked suitor. She didn't have to.

"Is it wrong of me to want to come and see my love?" he teased, but the tone was somewhat cold, biting, _warning_.

"Do you intend to do this often?"

"Of course. I can't have him stealing you from right under my nose, now, can I?" His hot breath tickled her ear and she shut her eyes, knowing that resisting would be futile. A soft kiss against the nape of her neck, and she opened her eyes. Her head rose to gaze blankly at the stars, courtesy of a hand that had nudged her chin up and to the side.

"Why do you do this to me?" she asked sadly and she felt him smile against her neck.

"Because, love, isn't this what you wanted?" he chuckled quietly and a stray tear fell from Kagome's glazed, sapphire eyes. "Don't cry, love" he laughed, wiping the droplet off her face with his thumb.

"Please stop" she pleaded and the man pushed aside the the cloth covering her shoulder, revealing the ugly mark he made.

"Why should I?" he mused, kissing the scar, and his reddened eyes told her exactly what he was thinking. _You are mine._

Kagome's fingers twitched with the need to fight back, and she felt her hand brush against the quiver of arrows. After the last few days she'd spent with Link, the urge to fight back was even stronger than before. She had finally sampled a taste of freedom, and she was not about to give any of it up. With a rush of courage she wasn't even aware she could muster, she grabbed and arrow from the quiver and stabbed it into Nial's shoulder. He cried out in pain and surprise, rearing back from her and releasing his hold on her body to tear out the arrow in his flesh. Kagome took this chance to scramble out from under him and grab another arrow. She saw Link shoot to his feet out of the corner of her eye, grabbing his shield and tearing the sword from its sheathe.

No good. His eyes were still slightly dazed and hazy from sleep. She would have to fight off her Master for a few more moments.

Nial chucked the bloody arrow to the ground at his feet with a snarl.

"That wasn't very nice of you" he hissed, and Kagome could practically see the way his face contorted with anger beneath his mask. He lunged at her, knocking her to the ground before she could raise the arrow in self defense. Nial easily snapped the projectile with a hard smack of his hand and backhanded Kagome's face even harder. Kagome bit her tongue to keep from crying out loud and giving him the pleasure of hearing her screams. His crushing weight on her chest was suddenly gone, and through her blurry vision Kagome saw Link throw Nial off of her.

"And here comes the Hero of Time to save the supposed Damsel in Distress" Nial chuckled, getting to his feet and summoning his own sword from the very air. Link lowered his center of mass, preparing for the fight, but did not step away from his place in front of Kagome. He raised his shield and readjusted his grip on the Master Sword.

"I don't think 'supposed' should be in that sentence" he replied through clenched teeth.

Nial cackled. "Of course _you_ would think that."

The masked man charged forward and Link followed, meeting him halfway and blocking his blow with his shield. Link thrust with his sword, but Nial easily dodged it with a hop back. The blades of their swords clashed again, shooting golden sparks into the night, before Link raised his left arm and bashed the other man with his shield. Nial stumbled back, the very air knocked out of him, and Link slashed again. This time Nial could barely dodge it, and could only escape with a large gash to his arm. With both of his arms wounded now, he had no choice but to fall back. A soft 'swish', and he was gone, but not before giving them a foreboding promise of revenge.

Steadily, Kagome's tears increased in number, head lowered and covered by her hands. Her shoulders shook, her face contorted in sadness and the force of her stifled sobs, the hot crystals rolling down her tear-stained cheeks. Her heart squeezed in pain, she couldn't breathe... How had this happened to her? How had her life become so completely terrible? What had she done to anger the goddesses? Link could have been hurt because of her, and Nial was furious _and_ wounded. Her future was looking bleak.

Link rushed to her side and embraced her, careful of her injured cheek, and lowered her hands so he could lead her teary eyes to his shoulder.

"Shhh" he soothed. "Shhhhh, its okay. Its over now. He's gone."

A gentle, warm breeze once again wrapped around her, just like every other time after _he_ visited. It hugged her, soothed her, wiped away her tears, and cleared her heart of all the pain. It urged her head up, as if asking her to hold her head up high and stay strong, giving her the courage she needed to continue on, giving her the strength she needed to stand tall and fight for what she believed was right... and just like all the other times, it never failed to whisper names into her ears, names that would make her happy, names that gave her joy, pride, tranquility...

_Link_ it called quietly to her, reminding her of the one that she could now lean on for support if needed, _Link..._

She buried her face into his green clad shoulder and wrapped her arms around his torso, clenching the back of his tunic as if she would fall apart if she let go. Finally, she stopped holding back her sobs and she wailed into the night. In response, Link held her even closer, combed his gloved fingers through her hair, and pressed his cheek against her head. He completely engulfed her with his larger, more masculine frame, and Kagome took as much comfort in it as she dared.

"I'm here now. Everything's going to be alright" he whispered into her ear, and with the battle he just fought and his easy victory, Kagome believed him.

"You're safe now."


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Zelda.

AN: This is the last chapter I have edited/written. So you'll have to wait a while for the next update. Sorry guys! Hope you enjoyed this new version, though! :3

**Simple Dreams**

Chapter 7

firefox369

Hot wind blew against her face as Kagome stepped onto the even hotter sand, her dark, worn shoes in her right hand. She relished the feeling of the small grains sifting through the cracks between her toes, cerulean eyes shut and a gentle smile across her face. At her side, Epona snorted as a large gust made the small particles fly up her nose.

In contrast, Link dropped his head with a moan of distaste. He hated deserts. Sure, he had weathered them before, but he wasn't particularly fond of sleeping with sand in his clothes, the coarse particles scratching against his body. He glanced back at Kagome, then quickly looked away when he saw the dark bruise on her cheek. The events of the night before had hit him hard, and he began to realize exactly what he had promised to do. No wonder Kagome looked so skeptical when he made those promises. The entirety of the Twilight Realm was after her.

"Link?" Kagome whispered and the young man looked at her. She looked away from him, blushing bright red. "Thank you."

Link could feel his cheeks begin to heat up as well, embarrassed at his daring after last night's spar with Nial. The young woman had just looked so weak and terrified and miserable, and he before he knew it he had her in his arms. Something about her called out to him constantly, always itching at the back of his mind.

"Don't worry about it" he muttered in response, scratching the back of his head and turning away from her so she couldn't see the color in his cheeks. Kagome probably did not remember, but she had fallen asleep on top of him. Her hands had such a tight hold on his tunic that he couldn't pry her off, so he spent the night propped against Epona's side with the girl in his lap and her head resting beneath his chin.

The wind blew hot against his body. A hot, humid wind. If the humidity was a reliable source to go by, they would be reaching the lake within the day.

"We'll reach Lake Hylia soon" he informed, fighting the blush as much as he could. He knew he was fighting a losing battle.

Kagome awkwardly adjusted her newly acquired bow and quiver. The strap was beginning to rub a bit uncomfortably on her shoulder and back.

"He's going to come back" she whispered. She said it quietly, but the wind was blowing in her favor and carried her words the short distance to the blonde's ears.

This time Link was the one to awkwardly adjust the leather strap across his chest.

"I don't doubt that." And he couldn't. Afterall, Nial had promised to return and exact painful retribution on Link for his injured arms. Though he didn't say it out loud, Link was sure that the Lord from the Twilight Realm also wanted to punish him for changing Kagome. There was a spark in her eyes now that wasn't there before, and a few days ago she wouldn't have dared to even _attempt_ to bury an arrowhead in his bicep.

"You'll protect me, right?" Kagome asked after a few minutes of silence, and Link cleared his throat. He wanted to turn around, but he didn't want to see that _ugly discolored bruise_ on her cheek. It must have hurt when Nial hit her, but she didn't even grunt. She must be accustomed to the treatment, and the thought of that bothered him.

"Of course I will. I promised, didn't I?"

"Then can you help me protect myself?"

At this Link finally turned around and walked backwards as he stared deep into her eyes. Was she serious? "You want me to teach you how to fight?"

Kagome nervously lowered her gaze, then looked back up and nodded. "I want to learn." There was no question or doubt in those eyes.

The blonde young man smiled. Finally. Four days after they began to travel together she made her first honest request. How could he deny her? He wouldn't always be around to protect her, and the creatures in other areas of Hyrule were larger and more bestial than those in the desert. Wolfos and that damned shrubbery were scarier than scorpions and snakes by far. However, the bow and arrow was the only weapon he could offer her besides his sword and shield. He hadn't expected to be kidnapped and brought into the Twilight Realm, so the rest were at his home under the careful protection of young Souta.

"Will you able to kill, though?"

Kagome looked at him, confused.

"If someone comes at you, you have to defend with everything you have. You have to fight to kill."

The girl chewed her bottom lip. Would she be able to kill? As if sensing her unease, the wind picked up and blew the sand high into the air in the form of small funnels sand walls. Link noticed the sudden change in wind and narrowed his eyes at the girl, beginning to connect the two. As much as Midna hinted at it, he wasn't stupid. This girl was special, and he was finally beginning to understand why.

"Maybe you don't have to learn how to fight with weapons, Kagome" he hinted, and the girl looked up at him with wide eyes. She knew what he was referring to. Nial had tried to get her to do the same thing several times but she always refused.

"I can't" she denied, shaking her head.

"You can."

She always refused Niall and she always got a severe beating afterwards, but she couldn't do it. She couldn't bring to use the wind, the only comfort and only friend she had the last few years, as a weapon to harm other people. No matter what anyone said or tried to tell her, she would never learn. She would never try.

"No. I can't!" she argued, grasping her head as tears began to prickle at the back of her eyes. The wind grew stronger, painfully whipping sand against her body. Link covered his face with one arm and held onto his green cap with the other.

"I'm not telling you to hurt people with it, Kagome!" he shouted over the howling wind, and it began to die down as soon as she heard those words. "I'm not asking you to learn how to kill people with it! That's not what I meant!"

The sandstorm had turned into a calm breeze, and Link looked away from Kagome so he could regain his bearing and they could continue on their way. "I meant to say that you can use it to defend yourself."

His eyes scanned the horizon and he frowned. Her messing with the breeze was screwing up the landscape. Even if the dunes changed constantly, Link was familiar with the shifting sands he'd seen the past few days. The new layout had him slightly disoriented. He figured out where they were supposed to go and began to walk forward again. If they wanted to get out of here, they didn't have time to stand around and chat. They needed to move. Though they were in the middle of a conversation, the hero figured that getting out of the desert and finding a solid source of water was more important. Talking could happen when they walked, but it couldn't if they were dead. He hoisted his belt up, but scowled when it fell back down into its original position, hanging loosely against his hips.

"You could, I don't know, use it to make a barrier, or push people away with it. Enough force to knock them back, but not enough to hurt them" he explained.

"I see."

Doubt was in her voice.

"Defense, not offense" he assured.

As if knowing the conversation was going nowhere fast, Epona fell behind and rubbed her muzzle against Kagome's cheek. The girl caved into the mare's request. Softly, she petted Epona's long mane and soft fur. Link let the subject drop and they walked in a tense silence for hours.

* * *

"How was your visit?" Midna sneered, cackling inside at the bedridden Niall. Link had pulled a number on him. Good. He deserved every bit of it.

Niall turned his golden eyes towards Midna and her breath hitched. Every time she saw him without his mask she had the same reaction. They looked too similar.

"I'm tired Midna, not an invalid."

She scoffed. "Sure doesn't look that way to me."

He was suddenly gone from the large, luxurious bed and she was shoved brutally against the wall, his hand at her throat.

"I know you helped her escape. I'm not stupid. Kagome will get her punishment eventually, but perhaps it was high time you got yours, Midna."

The princess' eyes widened with fear.

"I was planning on making it relatively bearable, but you've been getting on my nerves lately" he hissed in her ear. His grip on her throat tightened and she had to choke for the very air she needed to survive. She drew up the magic from the depths of her soul, intending to throw the man off before he could hurt her more, but she was too late. A hot, burning pain seared up her spine and she had only begun to scream when her vision went black. Nial's sadistic laughter echoed in her ears.

* * *

"There are a few ledges that she should be able to jump to if we don't weigh her down" he said suddenly. Kagome looked as if she didn't understand what he was saying. "We can only get into Hyrule through Lake Hylia right now, and the only way to get to Lake Hylia is by scaling down a cliff. Epona can jump down using the ledges."

Kagome tripped and nearly fell on her face. Link noticed.

"Maybe you can get Midna to bring you down?" he suggested, but a dark look in her gaze immediately told him that it wasn't going to happen.

"I lost contact with Midna hours ago."

The scent of water was getting stronger, and Kagome could begin to see the beginning of the drop off in the distance. Dark evergreens began to poke over the horizon.

Kagome had grown accustomed to Midna's reassuring presence in her shadow, and if Midna wasn't personally traveling in her shadow, then she was definitely keeping tabs on it. The Twilight Princess' presence was _always_ there for as long as she remembered, and the loss of it made Kagome feel like she was missing a part of herself. She worried for the princess.

The cliff steadily got closer and closer, and they could feel the churning sands beneath their feet hardened into stone. They walked for a while longer before they finally reached the edge. Kagome had a difficult time keeping herself steady. She couldn't bring herself to look over and down into Lake Hylia.

"It's a bit of a drop" Link commented, releasing Epona's reins. The crimson mare immediately began to gallop away from the edge. Smart horse.

Kagome swallowed what little saliva she had. Her mouth was dry.

"There's no other way down?" she rasped, then cleared her throat. Link shook his head.

"I'm sorry."

Hooves pounding against the smooth stone caught Kagome's attention, and she barely had time to register what Epona was doing before a heavy gust of wind made her stumble. When she looked up, the brilliant horse was soaring through the air, neck muscles flexed as she pushed forward with all of her might. And then she was gone.

"Epona!" Kagome gasped, scrambling as close to the cliffside as she dared, and peered over to see the horse fearlessly hopping from ledge to ledge. She felt like her poor heart was about to beat out of her chest, having fully expected to see an Epona shaped blob smeared against the cliffside. Epona neighed in response once she had reached shore, as if expecting Kagome to follow.

She crawled away from the edge and stood, before looking at Link nervously. She started to chew her lower lip.

"We're not going the way she did" Link confirmed before stretching out his hand for her to take. She didn't. "There's no other way, Kagome. Scaling down that cliff is too dangerous."

Well unluckily for them all, the black-haired girl had a phobia of heights. Things were just not looking up for them today.

"And _jumping_ isn't?" she rebuked.

Link nodded.

Kagome worried her bottom lip some more. It was official, she decided. Link was insane.

"Take my hand, Kagome."

After hearing the half order, Kagome obeyed and grabbed onto his leather gauntlet. She silently cursed Nial for the obedience he'd beaten into her.

"I can't do this" she all but cried, but regardless she took comfort in the way Link's large hand covered hers. Gently, he wiggled his fingers in between her own, interlocking them.

"It'll be alright" he reassured, but he couldn't hide the slight tremble in his voice.

"Promise no one's going to get hurt?" she gulped.

"Promise. On the count of three?"

Kagome nodded.

"Three" Link started, giving her hand a comforting squeeze.

"Two" Kagome continued, smiling tentatively and returning his comfort with a small squeeze of her own.

"One" they said together.

And they jumped.

To Be Continued...


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Zelda.

**Simple Dreams**

Chapter 7

firefox369

They were falling.

Kagome wasn't sure, but she wondered if that loud scream she heard was coming from her. Her mouth was open, and she did feel as if air was going through her lungs. She glanced at Link, who looked like he was concentrating very hard on making sure he wouldn't belly flop into the lake.

It would appear that, yes, that screaming was her. She tried to stop. Really, she did, but she was so positive that she was going to die that she couldn't.

Link yanked on her arm and pulled her flush against his body, one hand resting on her back and the other buried in her hair. Oh, would you look at that. She stopped screaming.

"It'll be alright" he shouted over the roaring wind in their ears. She noticed somewhere in the back of her mind that his cap had fallen off, and his long bangs were whipping wildly in his face. Kagome snaked her other arm around his body. Her hand grabbed onto the back of his tunic as she stifled another scream. "Plug your nose!"

Somewhere during the drop their positions had changed and Link had placed himself beneath her, fully intending to take the brunt of the impact. The hit, Kagome realized, would most likely break his spine, and she began to panic. Just before they hit, a large cushion of air formed beneath them to slow their descent just enough to make sure that Link wouldn't be injured.

Link slammed into the water first, the blow knocking the air out of his lungs. He couldn't help but breathe in, and his lungs began to fill with water. Meanwhile, Kagome was still disoriented from the drop. She could feel Link's body tense and squirm against her own, his hand squeezing her own so hard she was sure her fingers were about to snap in half. And then she saw the agony in his expression and the air bubbles coming from his mouth. Pushing up through the water with as much strength as she could muster, she propeled herself upwards and towards the surface with Link in tow.

After what felt like an eternity, they broke through and Kagome brought them to shore as fast as she could. Epona met her at the waters edge, grabbing her master's tunic and dragging him out of the water. Link coughed and coughed and coughed some more, rolling onto his side. Each cough brought up more water, but the deep, starved intakes of air told both females that he would survive.

Kagome rubbed small circles on his back, worrying over his reddening face. Tears began to leak out of his eyes due to the neverending onslaught of water he had breathed in. He coughed for so long that Kagome thought he was going to pop some blood vessels and hack up his very heart before he plopped onto his back in an exhausted, soggy heap.

"Sorry you had to see that" he joked, but his voice was hoarse. He rubbed the remaining tears from his eyes with his soaked gauntlet and sniffled. Kagome took in the way his chest heaved up and as he gasped for air, the way he grit his teeth in pain, and the way his throat bobbed as he occasionally swallowed between breaths. Strangely, instead of feeling guilty or worried, she felt angry. _Furious_ even.

She trembled under the force of her own wrath.

Link saw her shivering and began to sit up, intending to reach out and take her hand again, maybe even hug her if it was because she was cold.

"You..." she whispered, balling her hands into tight fists. Her knuckles turned white.

"This usually doesn't happen Kagome. I swear" he coughed.

He suddenly found himself on his back once more, the air knocked out of him _again_ due to a rough blow to his chest. Link groaned.

For a malnourished girl, Kagome had one hell of a right hook.

He rolled his head to the side so he could squint at Kagome more clearly, and was surprised to see her blue eyes sparking to life with that untamed anger.

"You! You!" she repeated the word a few more times, unsure of how to continue and punctuating each one with a sharp poke to his chest. "You could have died!"

Link gazed at her, one eyebrow quirked upward. "Almost dying is a daily thing for me, Kagome" he stated matter of factly, sitting up again. This time she let him while she clumsily tried to get one of the long locks of hair sticking to her face unstuck. Her dark cloak, even more ragged than before, was an inky blob around her form, the very tail of it still waving in the water.

"But you promised! Right before we jumped!"

Had he promised something? He had. Oops.

"We're still alive, aren't we?"

"That's not the point!" She was wailing now, he noticed with amusement. And then she tackled him, burying her face in his chest as she sniffled and hiccuped. "I thought you were going to die!"

Link thought he was going to die too, but he didn't tell her that. He scoffed instead. "I saved the world. As if a little drop is going to kill me." Still, he wrapped his arms around her tiny body and held her close.

"No more cliff jumping?" she sniffed, looking up at him with wide, watery eyes. Link swallowed thickly, knowing that there was _no_ possible way he would be able to get out of this one. Those eyes were just _so_ big and blue and watery and desperate...

"I can promise you that cliff jumping is _not_ something I want to try again."

Looking relatively satisfied, Kagome once again snuggled her face into his tunic, and for a moment he thought that she acted more like a pet than a slave. He wisely kept his opinions to himself and lowered his chin onto the top of her head. His green cap was still fluttering down from the cliff, and he watched it gently hit the water with a small plop. He made a mental reminder to go and pick it up later.

"Welcome to Hyrule, Kagome."

The girl sniffed, but the wind blew jovially around them. He wasn't sure what had compelled him to say what he said next, but something in the back of his mind told him that she deserved it, that they were right.

"Welcome home."

As if on cue, Kagome turned into another blubbering mess.

* * *

_Plip. Plip. Plip._

_"Why are you crying, love?" a voice asked curiously and Kagome looked up from her bindings to stare straight into the cold eyes of her former protector. He was once so kind to her, so gentle, what had happened to him to turn him into such a monster?_

_She firmly clamped her mouth shut, not wanting to speak to him. Maybe, just maybe, if she was lucky enough he would leave her alone and stop torturing her confused heart and aching soul. A calloused hand gently carressed her cheek and she instinctively closed her eyes, fighting the urge to lean into the comforting touch. For a moment, she felt like time had turned back and they were both children again. Innocent, gullible, and completely unaware. Kagome's reverie was cut short, however, when she moved to touch the man with her hand only to feel the resistance of the chains that shackled her to the stone wall behind her. The sound of the metal chains being pulled taut brought her back to her painful reality._

_As if the sound snapped _his_ trance as well, the hand moved away and his presence disappeared along with it._

_When Kagome opened her eyes to see if he was truly gone, all her eyes met was the familiar darkness of the dank cell._

_"You've changed" she whispered, fully aware that he would not be able to hear her._

* * *

Link hurt.

After all the coughing he'd done earlier that day, it felt like every single muscle in his body was about to give up on him and die, including his heart. And even though his throat wasn't really a muscle, he was sure his throat was about to go and commit suicide too.

Did he mention his lungs? Because his lungs definitely belonged in that mix.

Oh, and his-

"Link?"

The hero wiped the pout off his face and turned to face the raven-haired girl. Her eyes, though still slightly red and puffy from all the crying she'd done, were wide and hopeful. And glancing fretfully towards the lake every few seconds. Understanding _exactly_ what she wanted, Link (unintentionally) stifled his groan beneath some leftover water and a bit of bile and coughed instead.

Once he was done coughing up whatever liquid concoction was lodged in his throat, he turned to look at Kagome again.

"Yes?" he asked politely, acting as if nothing had ever happened.

The girl looked at the sand beneath her feet and began to nervously twiddle her thumbs. She wasn't stupid. She knew Link wasn't feeling well, and after the _incident_ she was sure he wasn't about to step foot near the water, too.

"Can I play in the lake? You don't need to come with me and I'll stay close to the shore. I know how to swim, but you know that considering I, um... but I'll make sure to be really careful and you _really_ don't have to go in after me." Kagome was rambling and repeating herself, she knew, but she was nervous and couldn't help it. Rambling was a bad habit, one that she'd never truly been able to get rid of. "I can grab your hat while I'm at it, and-"

"Kagome" Link interrupted, thoroughly amused, and she stopped speaking. "No one's stopping you."

"But-"

"He ain't here."

Kagome's mouth snapped shut. Link held out his hand, offering to take her bow and quiver. "Give me those, I'll watch them for you. You go have some fun."

Now that she had gotten what she wanted, she began to hesitate. When was the last time _Nial_ had given her what she wanted without punishing her afterwards? She honestly couldn't remember.

"It's been a while since you last came here, right? Though after that little tumble earlier I think I'll just stay here and watch" Link stated, smiling a little when Kagome began to grin. "Go on, shoo. Off with you."

The girl full out smiled and practically flung the weapon off her shoulder and into Link's face before bolting to the water with a nearly inaudible 'whoop.' Epona chased after her and waded in as far as she dared. Like Kagome promised, she stayed close to shore. A little _too_ close in his opinion - they were playing in ankle high water - but that didn't matter. As long as he didn't have to run in after her and save her, he was fine.

Kagome kicked up the water at her feet, splashing the young mare. The horse tolerated it until Kagome kicked particularly hard and a few drops of water were splashed up Epona's large nostril. With an indignant whinny, she knocked Kagome with her head and watched with much satisfaction as the girl went tumbling into the lake. For a while the girl just sat there soaking from head to toe and completely stunned, confused, and dazed. Once she had regained her bearings, she stood with a huff and stomped over to the mare, making huge splashed as she went. Epona smartly began to back away.

Now, Kagome had done many stupid things in her life. She'd made fun of Link's unfortunate lack of family, she'd bullied two month old Souta for being cuter than her, she'd flaunted her stubbornness in Nial's face and stabbed him with an arrow, and most recently she'd jumped off an 80 foot cliff. The list would need to be amended, however.

Wrestling with a horse would need to be added.

Epona easily shoved Kagome off with a snuff of her nose and another push. The girl went tumbling into the water again.

It would need to be written in bold, underlined in red ink, and circled a million times, Kagome decided. There was no winning against Epona.

Link watched from ashore, holding his stomach. Now, he tried very, very hard to hold in his laughter, but his muscles hurt and he was feeling a bit tired so his efforts were in vain. The sad thing was that it wouldn't have been in vain if he hadn't accidentally snorted.

A very wet, soppy Kagome blinked up at Link when she heard the noise, then blushed furiously when loud guffaws erupted from his trembling body. Epona sniffed and stepped out of the water, being careful not to slip in the sand. Her long white tail flicked to and fro, gently whipping at her hind legs. Gracefully, the mare bit the back of Link's tunic, dragged his struggling body across the sandy beach, and dropped him (butt first, mind you) none to gently into the shallow water at Kagome's side. She trotted out of the water and across the sand until she had nearly reached the small tufts of grass before turning around and scrutinizing her masterpiece.

Both Kagome and Link were watching her, flabbergasted. Both of their jaws had dropped at some point, and two pairs of cerulean eyes stared at her in shocked wonder.

With a satisfied neigh, she trotted further onto shore and dipped her head, fully intending to graze what grass she could find here to extinction. She hadn't had a decent grassy meal in days and she was starting to get famished.

In the shallow water, Link and Kagome continued to sit. Neither had yet fully comprehended what exactly had happened.

"Has she always been that smart?" Kagome asked. Epona glanced at them from the corner of one of her large, onyx eyes.

"I don't know" Link replied flatly. Water dripped from his hair and down the back of his shirt, making a shiver run down his spine. One of Epona's ears flicked towards them and she began to listen in on their conversation. They realized then that if Epona could speak, she would have made an excellent spy.

There was a moment of silence.

"She plays dirty" Kagome stated with finality. She could have sworn she saw the mare glare for a split second.

"She's a horse, I don't even think she knows what 'playing dirty' means."

There was another moment of silence.

"No more wrestling with Epona?"

"Glad you think so too."

They both agreed: Epona was invincible.


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Zelda.

AN: I accidentally posted the wrong chapter the first time. Oops! This is the correct one! Sorry for the long wait. School sucks. Hope you enjoy!

**Simple Dreams**

Chapter 9

firefox369

_"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Kagome whispered, fiddling with the pole in her hands. Confident gold eyes gazed into her own._

_"It's fine. Even if they're not supposed to, all the guards are sleeping now anyway."_

_Kagome worried her bottom lip, and then nodded. She brought the pole back, then swung it forward with all her might, watching nervously as the small hunk of Twilit Vermin meat plopped into the black, murky water. Her accomplice tugged on the strong line and nodded with satisfaction when the ball of straw they'd weaved earlier that day bobbed back and forth in the darkness._

_"But isn't this, you know, where that thing is?" she whimpered. Just what had he convinced her into doing?_

_"Oh, don't worry about it. That thing doesn't even like twilit vermin. Besides, this is where all the big fish are!"_

_Seemingly comforted for the time being, Kagome went back to watching the straw ball in the water. Suddenly, it went under and the string went taught, nearly bring Kagome along with it into the lake. Hearing Kagome's shocked cry, the boy raced to her side and grabbed onto the pole with her. They were both giggling as they yanked on the fishing pole with as much force as they could. Still, they were slipping and were getting closer to the edge._

_The boy closed his eyes, looking for the dark energy buried deep within his soul. He found it and drew it out of its hiding place before opening his eyes and yanking on the pole again. With the added strength, the aquatic creature went flying out of the water and soared over their heads._

_Both children watched, terrified, as a humongous skeletal _thing_ arched over them, its head a giant, teethed hole surrounded by translucent, blue, squirming tentacles._

_A furious screech erupted from the water and they dropped the fishing pole. The King of Twilit Aquatics, the Morpheel, leapt out of the water again, this time to exact revenge on the little two-legged brats. With an ear-splitting scream, both children dodged the beast and began to sprint back to the castle._

_"I hate you, Nial!" Kagome panted once they were away from the water and decided to take a short break. Nial giggled._

_"How was I supposed to know that this was going to happen?"_

_Another angry roar from the Morpheel sent the two of them squealing and laughing back to the castle._

"If you've gone fishing then you shouldn't be having any problems with this" Link stated, looking over their borrowed fishing poles one last time. "Besides, we need to catch something to eat. We're out of food."

Kagome did not look convinced, but she dipped the bait into the water anyway. Link did the same soon after.

"I haven't gone fishing in years" she said glumly. She decided that Link didn't need to know that her first, and last, catch was the large creature he'd slain in the Lakebed Temple. Sure, she'd gone fishing for Souta's basket and blankets even before then when the mischievous five year old Link had tossed them into the stream and they had been swept down to the small pond in Ordon, but she didn't consider those actual catches.

Really, all of her fishing experiences had been extremely ungratifying.

Though honestly, seeing Link without his tunic on could easily make up for her dislike of fishing. His slim, but steely muscles were very well defined and were very much eye candy. Of course, she wasn't about to tell him that either.

Nial would have her head for just thinking about it.

After Epona had thrown the two of them into Lake Hylia, Link decided it would be best to take off as much clothing as they dared and let their clothes dry in whatever sun was left in the day. Kagome had agreed, not wanting to catch a cold, so they had divested themselves of their outer garments, propped them up on a makeshift clothesline, assembled a rough campsite, and had left Epona behind to go to the nearby fishing post to get some food. The way the female owner looked the blonde hero over from head to toe had not escaped Kagome's careful watch. Apparently Link was more popular than he let on. What a playboy.

Kagome would need to remember to confront him about it later.

She felt a tug on her fishing line and, surprised, yelped. Calmly, Link reached over and grabbed her fishing pole with one of his hands, his other hand propping his own against the boat.

"Come on Kagome, you have to tug back" he teased. She could feel his breath brush against the lobe of her ear and she fought back a blush. Did Link even know what he was doing? One glance at in his direction told her that no, he had _no_ idea what he was doing to her. So, Kagome pulled with all of her might while Link steadied both her and the small rowboat.

Much to her delight, the fish that flew out of the water was small, cute, scaly, and lacking tentacles. It was also missing that wormhole of a mouth. Perhaps _actual_ normal world fishing wouldn't be too bad after all.

Link grabbed the flopping animal and removed the hook from its mouth before plopping the fish into a basket attached to the side of the boat. Kagome grabbed another worm and stabbed it onto the hook before swinging the bait into the water again.

"Link?" she suddenly called and the hero grunted to show that he heard. "Where are we going after this?"

"We'll head to my home in Ordon Village. I need to grab my other items in case Nial decides to send some Twilit monstrosities at us" he decided. "We'll probably have to spend a night in Hyrule field just outside of Faron Woods."

Upon hearing Ordon Village, Kagome smiled. "Tell me about Ordon" she asked wantonly. There was a tug on Link's fishing line, then another.

"Well..." Link paused in order yank the fishing rod back and grab the fish at the end of the line. "It's really quiet, I guess." He removed the hook from the fish's mouth before plopping the catch into the basket beside Kagome's. "The kids are still kids though, always getting into trouble. The only exciting thing that happened was when one of the kids got lost in the woods, and that was the start of my whole saving the world gig. Nothing particularly fun has happened since."

Kagome thought of her late night voyages to the castle outskirts with Nial when she was a child and her smile softened. "Kids do tend to get in trouble, huh?"

"Trouble is an understatement" Link scoffed. He grabbed a worm and slid it onto the hook, then plopped it into the water beside the boat. He could see a school of fish swimming back and forth beneath them, and he wasn't about to let them just float there when he was hungry and craving fish. "Though I guess they make village life a bit more exciting. Especially Souta."

The young woman's eyes went wide. "Souta?" she repeated under her breath and Link nodded. Souta? _Souta?_ _Her_ Souta? As in her _baby brother_ Souta?

"That little brat just doesn't know when to stop" he sighed, shaking his head. "I'm surprised he hasn't gone off and gotten himself killed yet. I've got my hands full with that one."

"How old is he?" she breathed, heart fluttering with hope.

"He'll be turning fourteen in a few days. Speaking of which, I need to figure out what I'm going to get him..." Link trailed off and scowled, deep in thought.

Fourteen! _Fourteen!_ Little Souta was a _teenager! _By the goddesses, her brother was _alive_. Kagome was so happy she nearly cried.

At that moment she pulled up another small, cute, non-terrifying fish. The joy of everything, and the relief that she wasn't going to die a gruesome death trying to get some dinner, sent her over the edge. Fishing rod forgotten, she dropped her head in her hands and muffled her tears of laughter.

oOoOoOoOo

"Why have you called this meeting?" a feminine voice questioned. Sapphire eyes narrowed at the being across the large, oaken table. Molten gold met their gaze.

"All of our lands have been plagued by these Twilit monstrosities as of late." The voice that responded was deep and bestial, but despite the growling undertones was surprisingly rich and smooth.

The figure beside him snorted. "'Plagued' is a major understatement."

"Although our _dear_ counterpart from across the sea is a little crass, I'd have to agree. The monsters from the Twilight Realm are getting out of hand. We have always been equipped to deal with them, but their sheer numbers are getting annoying."

All eyes suddenly turned back to the owner of the sapphire hued eyes. The young woman sighed, fighting the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose to and massaging her temples to help fend off the oncoming migraine she was positive she would have within the next hour. She had hoped that they wouldn't catch onto everything so soon. Though each land was special in their own right (heck, the person sitting beside her was supposed to have come from the _sky_ of all things), the princess was positive that the triforce bestowed upon Hylian humanity was the _only_ thing that kept the Twilight Realm at bay.

"What do you want from me?" she finally asked. She had an idea of what they wanted to know, but she would try to tell them as little as possible about Hyrule's situation. As difficult as it was for her to admit, she was sure that her country could not afford to fight another war. The boblins had wreaked more havoc while she was held captive in the Twilight Realm than she realized.

"What we want to know, Princess Zelda," that deep voice began and Zelda stifled a groan. If _he_ was the one asking then she really did have her work cut out for her this time around. "Is why Hyrule has been Twilit free for the past two years."

He stopped there, but the blonde princess knew the rest of his unspoken accusation. Zelda regretted accepting the invitation to this meeting, but this was necessary if she wanted to be rid of the bad eggs in the Twilight World. Things were looking up, but at the same time they have never looked so down in her entire life. If she couldn't convince her fellow rulers that she had, in fact, not betrayed them but had simply and inadvertently driven off the Twilit creatures to other lands, then she would find her self in a war with the three countries that had surrounded her, literally and figuratively, on all sides.

"You know of Hyrule's history. We were all very close to each other a long time ago. The Goddess Hylia-"

"Feh. Fairytales."

"Silence Inuyasha."

But the interruption had done its work. Zelda stopped speaking, closed her mouth, and carefully looked over all of her companions. Even though the light was a little dim, she could the seriousness in all of their stares. There would be no jokes or games today. No one spoke as she scanned them all, slowly looking from one to the next until there was no one left to observe. The overbearing silence was stifling and, after a few minutes, Inuyasha began to squirm a little in his seat.

"The Chosen Hero was reincarnated" she stated simply. Her response was concise, perhaps a little _too_ straight to the point, but the understanding that dawned on her colleagues' faces told her that she had given them part of what they wanted to hear. "He defeated Zant and Ganon. The Twilit creatures have left Hyrule alone since then."

Golden eyes narrowed in thought and Zelda immediately knew that she had also given the answer that she needed, that they all needed, in order to get rid of the new evil ringleader.

"Then I guess what it all comes down to-" another feminine voice began.

"-is how to get rid of the new bad guy" finished another shadowed figure with violet eyes.

Zelda nodded, and then looked at the silver haired man across from her. He met her gaze before inclining his head. For a split second she thought she saw him smirk.

"This is where the real talks begin."

oOoOoOoOoO

When was the last time she had felt like this? Link had just begun to tend to the fire and cook their day's catch above the warm flames. Though the flame was small, it was getting larger and she could feel the burning heat against her face despite sitting a good distance away. Her entire body felt like it was made of ice, yet she also burned.

What was wrong with her?

She gazed at the roasting fish, concentrating hard on keeping herself sitting up without swaying back and forth. Link noticed and mistook her struggling gaze for hunger.

"Dinner will be ready in a little bit. Promise. Don't go falling over with hunger now" he joked, turning back to the fire and prodding the burning logs with a stick. Kagome managed a tiny smile before placing her warm hand on her even warmer forehead. She could vaguely recall days she spent in bed when she was a child, a towel on her forehead and a worried mother fussing over her. But she had no bed, no towel, and no mother. She hadn't had them for years, and though she had come to terms with it long ago the thought suddenly brought tears to her already watery eyes.

And though she hadn't wanted it since she was first taken captive, she began to crave the feel of a caress of her cheek, a gentle hug, and a tender kiss against her forehead.

She fought back the tears and sniffled, because of her urge to cry or her stuffy nose she had no idea. Link worriedly glanced at her out of the corner of his eye before stabbing the skewered fish into the ground and shuffling towards her. The young woman gazed into his clear, cerulean eyes and sniffled again. Slowly, she lifted her trembling arms and pulled the leather glove off his hand, and then dropped the glove to the ground. She turned his hand so it faced palm up, ran her finger down the soft creases in his skin, ghosted her touch along his fingers to his fingertips, and then rested her hot cheek against his cool hand.

Link watched her the entire time and let her do as she wished, but the moment he felt the hot of her cheek against his palm he knew somethingw as wrong. He knelt in front of her, not moving his hand from her face, and silently pressed his forehead against hers.

"You're sick" he whispered. Kagome slumped against him and sighed even as she shivered in his arms. The Hero of Time coaxed Epona and slid off the blanket folded in one of the side packs before lifting Kagome into his lap and pulling the blankets around them. The sick girl snuggled closer to him and dozed off. Worried over her illness, Link found that he lost his appetite, but forced himself to eat anyway. Someone had to stay healthy, afterall.

That night he barery slept. Epona comfortingly pressed against his back, as if to relieve him of his worries, while Kagome trembled in his hold. He convinced himself that the reason why he didn't let go was becaust the sickness would be around for a while, and Link wanted Kagome to get healthy fast. Their time together was short and he didn't want to waste a minute of it.

But as the sun rose over the horizon and the first rays of light began to shine upon the smoking remains of their campfire, Link knew that things had become much worse than he anticipated.

Kagome wasn't waking up.

To Be Continued...


End file.
